


Shepard Stories III

by DaFoaming_Dragon



Series: Shepard Stories [3]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Children of Characters, Drama & Romance, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Love, New Galaxy, Original Character(s), Portals, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:54:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 153,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23189548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaFoaming_Dragon/pseuds/DaFoaming_Dragon
Summary: A century has passed since Shepard has met Liara. The T'Soni's and the T'Seius's have united with the bonding of Benezia and Milizkia. The Shepard's have experienced life throughout the years with all the typical family drama. As their lives continue on there will be choices made by some that will cause a ripple effect. What will become of the Shepards?
Relationships: Male Shepard/Liara T'Soni, Miranda Lawson/Male Shepard
Series: Shepard Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1846348
Kudos: 11





	1. The Facility

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I have no rights to the Mass Effect Games in anyway shape or form.
> 
> \--/
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome and ideas are always helpful. Thanks for reading.
> 
> \--/  
> A/N: July 24,2020: Most of these chapters were originally part of Shepard Stories I but I decided to break it into smaller chapters and it is now part of a series. I apologize if you're receiving email updates on non new posted chapters.

Shepard Stories III

**Ch 1: The Facility**

-/

**Armali, Thessia – T'Soni-Shepard Estate – Fall 2284CE**

Liara reached at her husband's shirt, grabbed the pesky culprit, and pulled it slowly as it began to un-cling itself from his shirt. They both laughed as they looked at the long black hair. "They're everywhere." Said Shepard.

Liara laughed "Yes, they are. On my clothes, the couches, our bed, the shower drain..." She cringed, "That's probably the worst for me. Pulling that glob out of the drain." She paused then snickered, "Actually, I believe several of these are yours."

He laughed as he looked at it "But not that one."

"You humans and your hair."

"Hey, you love our hair." He said

She smiled, "That I do."

Miranda came around the corner "Are you two talking about my hair?"

Liara still had the strand pinched in her fingers as she looked at her friend, "Nope." She said then let it fall to the ground.

Miranda laughed, "You were too!" She looked at Liara as she walked to the cabinet to grabbed a glass. "We don't talk about your shedding of your scales..."

Liara gasped as her eyes widen"That is an extremely embarrassing time and happens as our body and crest grow. More frequently, when we're a child and a handful of times as we mature throughout our life stages."

"Yea yea molting I know." replied Miranda

Liara placed her hands on her hips as she grunted "Yes, it's similar to molting, but it's not molting because we don't shed our entire scales like snakes it's just small sections. Like when your skin burns then flakes and you peel it away. It's like that, it flakes as our crest grows beyond the scales and we brush them away, I can't help it."

"Neither can I help that my hair falls out or that I bleed out of my vagina."

Shepard smiled as he rose his brows at Liara, and she rolled her eyes then said, "Oh, you're just in a mood. Period time huh?"

Miranda whipped her head at her, "What?" She looked at both of them "Oh, I see, every time I get just a hint of backlash you two blame it on PMS. That's your go-to for it. Oh, she's on her period, watch out. Grannie panties, tampons and chocolate. Yep, that's me."

Liara rose her brow markings at her snippy tone then looked at Shepard. "Hold up we were just laughing about hair, and now you're getting snippy."

"Am I not allowed to or is it just Liara..." she said then turned and walked off.

She turned to Shepard, "What the hell was that about?"

He shrugged, "No idea, but she is in a mood today." He let out a breath "Ever since the girls got

bonded last year she's been acting strange. Do you know anything about that?"

She shook her head "She's never fully opened up to me, and I always see black in her mind, but I've noticed more within the last decade. I feel that she's keeping something from me, but I don't know what and now this."

"I'll go talk to her." He said as he left the kitchen and walked to their bedroom then looked around, "Miri, you in here?" He waited for a response but didn't receive one then he tapped at his omni tool, "Hey Cap, can you get me a twenty on Miranda?"

"Yes, Sir. One second." Replied Kirre, "She's heading to the gym." She said several moments later.

—/

Shepard walked into the gym and saw Miranda running on a treadmill as she watched the tv in front of her. He stepped onto the treadmill beside her "So... you have some fuel to burn, huh?"

"Yep..." she said quickly as she continued to look forward.

"Would you like to tell me what's going on?"

"Nothing is—"

"Don't lie to me..." he said sharply

She grit her teeth as she slowed the treadmill until it stopped then stood there and looked at him "There's a shit ton on my mind, and I'm sorry if it spilled out on to you two, Ok?"

"Care to elaborate? We're here to help, you know."

She tapped her finger on her hip as she looked off to the side "I can't... I need to do this on my own... besides she'll never understand."

Liara walked into the gym "What won't I understand?"

"Nothing..." she said as she got off the treadmill

"Talk to me. What's wrong?" Liara said as she looked her best friend over, then a pain hit her heart, "Are you sick?"

Miranda jerked her hand down quickly as she shook her head "No, I'm not sick. I'm dying...no it's dying... thtththhh dead...it's death..."

Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach as her response came out almost as a whisper "What..."

She closed her eyes as she shook her head "No, shit...I can't fucking speak." She took a breath as she placed her fingers on her face. "Death is what's rolling through my mind constantly."

Her bottom lip began to quiver as tears rolled down her face "Death? You want to die?"

Miranda's head dropped "Liara... I'm a hundred and thirty-five. Death will come for me eventually."

"Yea but you have another century or so before that, Right?" She waved her hand at the length of her body "Look at you, you barely look a day over fifty."

Miranda smirked as she rolled her eyes, "Gee, thanks."

Liara looked at Shepard then back at her friend, "What, that's good right?"

"A normal human life expectancy is up to a hundred and fifty tops, and I should be ceasing soon, but I'm enhanced, and my life expectancy was extended to a hundred and seventy-five maybe, possibly two hundred or longer." She shrugged then said, "Who knows..."

"You have my nanites that should account for something." Replied Shepard

She nodded, "Yes, it should, and my life expectancy extended even further to two seventy-five... Three fifty or more, maybe. Who the fuck knows...but we shouldn't live that long..."

Liara smiled "So, what's the problem?"

Miranda's hands dropped to her thighs "What's the problem? Everything..." she said as tears drizzled down her face.

Liara pinched her brow markings at her response "I don't understand, are you not happy here with us? Do you want to leave?"

She wiped the tears from her face, "I am... It's just..." she shook her head as she exhaled, "Just forget it." She said as she walked away.

Liara and Shepard just looked at each other than at Miranda, she huffed and said, "Miranda..."

She didn't reply but just continued to walk until she exited. Liara grunted, "What the hell...?"

Shepard shook his head as he shrugged "This is weighing on her heavily. I don't know if she's afraid of the unknown, death, or living longer."

"Knowing her, she doesn't care for the unknown. She likes to have a clear path and everything in order. The fact that she's actually sat down and calculated death time possibilities is unnerving."

"Yes and apparently it's bothering her."

"Do you know what she does when she goes to earth?" asked Liara

"No, do you?" replied Shepard

Liara shook her head "She shows me what she wants me to see on her visits with her sister and family but nothing else." She grimaced, "What I don't understand is why she's keeping secrets from us. We're her family, her lover's and my best friend." She looked at her husband "Well, you're my best fr—"

He smiled, "I know...what you mean."

"I wonder if Alex knew..."

"Nah, he would have told me." He gave a quick laugh "When we were younger we couldn't keep secrets for shit. He would turn to me and say, "Ok, Katie told me that mom said this, but I'm going to tell you but don't say anything." He smiled "Then I would ask Katie because he'd get the story wrong and she would say damn Alex you weren't supposed to tell anyone. Then he'd laugh and say it's just Jon-Jon. But yea... She loved him deeply, but she didn't tell him everything, or maybe she did, and he took it to the grave. I don't know." He looked at his wife standing there in complete thought then said: "Ah uh don't you dare put a tail on her..."

"I'm not..." she said as she looked at him

"But you're thinking about it."

"Thinking and doing—"

"I know Lia but just don't, if she wanted us to know what she's doing or whom then she'd tell us."

Liara gasped then huffed "Do you think she goes to see someone else?"

He rumbled in laughter as he walked up to his wife, "You're jealous of the possibility."

She placed her hands on her hips then looked down, "Well... ugh... yes."

He slid his arms through each opening between her arms and kissed her "Am I not enough for you?"

Her face fell at his words, and she looked at him "Lovie, you are more than enough it's just—"

He patted her butt then replied, "I'm messing with you, babe. She loves you very much, and she would tell you if she ever decided to leave."

Her eyes widened, "Leave... do you think she is?"

"No, but if she decided to move on, she would let us down easy."

She squeezed him as she laid her head on his chest "I hope she's not thinking of leaving. I would be hurt, but I would understand if she wanted to pull away from our trio to be with someone else."

—/

**2285CE**

Liara walked into their bedroom and saw Miranda packing a bag "Hey, where ya headed?"

Miranda looked up as she tucked her underwear into the bag "I need to head to earth for a few weeks maybe longer." she looked down at her omni tool "Shit, Mili's going to be waiting on me."

Liara trailed her finger on the bed, "Mili?"

"Yea, she's headed to earth as well, and I'm hitching a ride with her."

"Can I come with you?" Asked Liara

Miranda pinched her brow quickly, then said: "Why?"

"Why not?"

"Well, I thought you were busy with your classes and students, that's why I decided to take the time to go."

"I was, and Shepard will be home in a few days but... Oh, you don't want me to go."

"It's not that... it's just... I'll be working the whole time, and I really need to finish this project."

Liara scrunched her brow markings "Project? What project?"

Miranda closed her bag and sealed it "That's classified—"

She grabbed her arm gently, "Classified? What—"

"Liara, I need to go..." she replied quickly

"Talk to me. What's going on? Why do I feel like you're pulling away from me?"

She closed her eyes briefly, "There's so much I want to tell you but I can't right now. I will someday."

Liara looked at her, then murmured, "Are you leaving me?"

"No, I'll be back." She said then smiled

"Good, you scared me there for a moment." She leaned in and kissed her, then said: "I love you."

"I love you too," Miranda said then kissed her long and slow. She felt her hands sliding through her soft hair as their tongues played back and forth then her hands drifted down her body and to the snaps of her pants. "nMmm Liara..."

She smiled, and she continued to unzip her pants, then pushed them down slightly "mHmmm?"

She hummed then pushed her on to the bed then leaned down, lifted her shirt, and kissed her stomach."

"nMm Lia... I need to get going..."

"Do you...?" She murmured as she slid her underwear down and kissed her sex.

She took a breath as she caressed her crevices on her crest then bit down on her bottom lip "nMmm..." Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think a woman or alien for that matter could ever please her or that she would love one as she did, but she was wrong, dead wrong. It's been sixty-four years since her husband died and she loved Shepard, but Liara was something more. The way she loved just melted her heart. The way she looked at her as if she looked into her soul when they made love. Her gentle touch when she placed her hands on her was different than a man's. Her kisses and pleasuring were done with precision and care. The melding made her see into the very deep personal parts of Liara, and she wasn't afraid to show her everything unlike herself that needed to keep parts hidden away.

She looked down at her as she caressed her clit with her tongue, and she smiled when she looked up at her as their eyes locked. That look just grabbed ahold of her, and Liara knew it. She'd been giving her that look for decades and even more so lately. Liara wanted another baby with her, but she couldn't bring herself to say yes even with Sam being out of the house for the last twenty-five years. No kids running around it's just been the three of them, but she was getting baby fever again. Shepard always promised her lots of blue babies. She was already a mother of five, six if she counted Cameron because she helped raise him. If I gave her a baby I would just be an asshole... at least our other is sixty years old. Her ramblings in her mind broke, and her eyes rolled back as her lover's tongue continued to stroke her clit "nMmmm..."

Liara looked back when there was a knock on the door and heard Tyre say "Miranda, Mili's shuttle has arrived for you."

She caught her breath, then said, "Ok, thank you... just another minute." She sighed then said, "I need to— Mhmm oh my god." Her body jerked when she sent a biotic pulse into her, and it rippled up her. She gripped the sheets as her hips tilted when her lover's mouth suctioned on to her clit and her hands gripped on to her thighs "NMmm fuck..." her tongue was gently massaging her throbbing bean as her timely suction continued. The pressure stopped then came long wide strokes then quick flicks. Her body tensed as her tongue circulated around her clit and gently brushed against her as it teased her "Mmmm... you know I like that."

She smiled then quickly said, "I do." then kissed up her body, and her finger replaced her mouth. She focused briefly on just below the hood and exposed the raw tip of her engorged clit but knew not to linger long. Her fingers entered her and scooped the wetness up and down her folds. Two fingers became four as they swiftly sloshed her wetness around in circular motions then moved quickly from side to side.

She took rapid breaths as her butt cheeks clenched and her back arch "Mmm ssss ssss yesss yess...nmmm nmmm."

Liara pushed her lover's shirt up and pulled her bra down then licked her nipple. Her index finger and her middle finger gently clamped her pulsing clit that was wanting to give her a release. She stroked her clit that was held captive within this gentle vise as she stroked it. Every quick stroke massaged each side of her, and it was bringing her to her brink. Her breaths became rapid as she licked her lips, and her hips rocked into her hand. "nMmmm god...yes.." She could feel it building, and she was almost there, then her body shuddered as the intensity finally release. She moaned, "nMmm nMmm... you are damn good at that."

Liara giggled "Decades of practice will do that." She said then kissed her lips, and she could taste herself on them. When they parted, she murmured, "Mmmm, I love you."

Liara smiled then kissed on her neck and breathed, "I love you too, babe."

Her brows scrunched, and her eyes clamped shut as she held back her tears."I'll miss you..."

She froze at the way she said it, and she leaned back then looked at her "Why did that feel like a goodbye?"

She looked into her blue eyes as they peered down at her, and she panicked slightly, "Hmm?"

Liara's eyes narrowed "You're leaving me, aren't you?" then her heart stopped when she said "Yes..."

"...momentarily..." she said then smiled weakly

Liara stopped pleasuring her lover and just looked at her "What are you not telling me?"

Miranda leaned up on her elbows and just looked at her "I want to tell you, I do, but I don't know how. I don't like keeping things from you, it tears me up inside, and I hate this feeling."

Her hand came up and caressed her cheek as she saw tears beginning to drip down her face "Then tell me. I'm here for you."

Her eyes closed, then she said, "I love you, but I need to go." She rolled from Liara then stood as she pulled her clothes on.

"Miranda, tell me what the hell is going on... please" She pleaded

"I can't... "

"You can't or you won't."

She had to leave, and she knew she wouldn't stop until she had an answer she was satisfied with if she told her the truth. She knew her too well, but her love for her was making this extremely difficult, and she hated to keep things from her, but she knew she would never accept her decision. Her lover was a fighter, and she would fight for her to stay no matter what it took because that was just her way. She loved hard, especially when it came to her lover's, her children, her family... they meant everything to her. She saw her crumble when she thought her husband died again then devastated when she thought her daughter died. The pain on her face and her instant reaction to grab at her stomach, knowing she carried her there and brought life to her there. The joy a child brings to your life when they're born then to watch them grow into an adult, fall in love, and to have their own children, but a mother should never outlive their child. The horrified look on her face when she saw Benezia bleeding out as she died and knowing there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. All the credits in the galaxy weren't going to prevent her from dying right there on Aria's floor. The months she was in a coma not knowing if she'd ever wake. Her lover was extremely fragile during that time as she constantly watched over her, and her heart would shatter time and again when her daughter faltered. Knowing how close she was to losing her baby and how she pleaded time and again to save her or to take her life instead. When you see hardened women such as Aria, Anna or Jes breakdown then you know it's going to hit you like a punch in the face but far worse. To see Anna cuddling, her little sister in the mid of the night when she thought no one was watching. She held on to her as she called her Sissy and told her to fight.

Anna may have a rock exterior, but the love of family can break you down. Benezia is her closest sister and her best friend even. Jes was just as bad with her sister and afraid she was going to lose her sister. The one asari that does everything for her. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. Please don't leave me. I need you in my life."

Watching Aria struggle with her daughter was worse. The Queen of Omega rarely left her daughter's side for the brief time she was there. "My strong baby mommy is here." Her heart was in pieces at the time her daughter was injured but seeing her just lying there unresponsive was hard on her. The not knowing of what may be. Did she save her or was she going to remain in this state? Only time would tell, and all they could do was wait and see. One of the worst things in life is knowing you can't always be there to protect them, especially from death. You can't ever prepare yourself for a child's death, no matter if you knew it was coming or not. There's nothing you can do to stop the pain it's going to cause, and she didn't want to witness it or experience it. The pain and heartache she went through when her husband died was detrimental, but it wouldn't compare to a child's death.

She turned to Liara, "I can't but believe me, I want to. I'll call you later?"

Liara sighed, and she didn't understand what this was about, but she didn't want to force her. She nodded then smiled "Yes, call me later. I love you."

"I love you too." She replied, then left through the door.

—/

Miranda sat at a small desk in her hotel room as she was finishing up a call with her daughter Madelynn. "... It was lovely seeing you too. I love you too. Bye, sweetie." She let out a breath then began typing away at her keyboard. She stopped then read over the letter _. Dear Mili..._ After she finished reading it over several times, she made a few adjustments then sighed. "That should suffice." She clicked at the screen and swiped through several screens as she sorted through several documents. She stopped as tears drizzled down her face. "Ugh shit..." she mumbled as she wiped her face then ran her hands through her hair. She stood and paced around in her room. She stopped then opened her omni tool and flipped through several pictures "I can't do this..." she shook her head as thoughts rippled through her mind, "You have to! No, maybe you should stop by and see them beforehand. Yes...No…" She wiped her face and took several deep breaths then exited her room.

—/

"Emmie, you've been gone for a week, and I figured you'd be home by now." Said Benezia

"I know babe, and that's what I planned for, but I'm her ride, and she's staying longer."

"What is she doing down there anyway?" she asked

She shrugged, "Visiting her children and Ori. Oh my goodness I saw Cam..."

"Oh, yea? How is he?"

"Good, he's still young as hell. He's sixty but still looks like he's twentyish."

"Really? Hmm, must be his nanites. Strange that it didn't affect him before."

"I know and exactly what Miranda said. Unpredictable she said too..."

Benezia paused as she looked off into the distance "Babe...our children will be the same..."

"Oh shit, I didn't even think about that. How long will we live?"

She took a deep breath "I don't know Em but longer than a millennium. I think our universe is changing."

"How do you mean?"

"Our technology is becoming more and more advanced. Look at the Quarians, for example, they're living outside their suits... which is very strange. Nanites helped you and me to live another day. They've helped my father on numerous occasions."

"Babe, your powers and strength helped me live, it wasn't just the nanites "

"No, but they helped and sooner or later they'll be out in the galaxy. From synthetic organs, body enhancements, biotics, drugs, medical treatment... shit everything is out there to help you live longer if you have the credits. My dad is a prime example... he was dead for two years, and they brought him back, and that was with medical and tech from a century ago. How advanced is it now?"

"I wouldn't mind an advancement to teleport to you right now so I can curve my sexual appetite for you." she said as she waggled her brow markings

She laughed, "Baby, you're always so horny."

She pouted, "I can't help it."

"I know. I got a gift for you, want to try it?"

"A gift?" She lifted from the bed and looked around quickly, "Where?"

Benezia chuckled "I love how you light up for gifts it's so cute. Hang on a second."

After several moments Mili looked at the door when she heard a knock "Yea?"

"It's Gen, Nezzie said to give you this package..."

Milizkia flared her nostrils and groaned "Babe..."

"Get your lazy ass up and get it."

She huffed, "I'm naked..."

"And?" Benezia smiled broadly then said "Mmmm baby show me that sexy purple ass of yours..."

She groaned then got out of bed and slipped into her robe then made her way to the door. She tapped at the side panel to release the lock then opened the door, and Gen handed her the box "Thanks." She said then returned to the bed as the doors closed behind her. "So, what's this?"

"Open it and find out..."

"Ok ok." She said as she opened the box to a black jumpsuit and a pair of virtual specs. "What is this?" she said as she trailed her fingers down it.

"The new virtual reality suit—"

"Oooh, no shit? Did you get me the new gaming system too?" she said quickly then grinned

Benezia laughed "No, baby, this isn't the new gaming virtual reality suit..."

Milizkia pinched her brow markings "Huh? Then what is it?"

Benezia moved the camera and showed her the same suit on her end "Momma has one too."

"I don't—Oooh... get the fuck out! Is this...?"

A broad smile crept across her face, "Mmmhmmm..."

Mili quickly picked up the suit and slipped it on to her body "Wait, shit does my omni tool have to come off?"

Benezia slipped hers on as she spoke: "No, it says it should work over it. The omni tool should also function the same just as it does over armor and clothes."

The suit covered her entire body, even her neck, and she could see several tiny sensors all over it. "Damn babe I'm excited. Oooh, this is as form-fitting as a base layer." She looked in the box "What are the rest of these strips in here?"

"Umm well, they're for your face, mouth, and crest if you want the full effect but not required."

She walked to the bathroom, "I do..." she applied the facial pieces "Ok, now what?"

"Ok, so it says..." She glanced up, then down at her omni tool then quickly back at her bondmate and chuckled, "Wow, that blackout looks weird on your face."

Mili smiled, "I know, as does yours." She said as she laughed. "So, what were you saying? What's next?"

"Oh yea, ummm let's see... you upload the app it says to on to your omni tool, and it links to the specs."

"Uh, huh ... doing that now."

"Ok, then you log in, and I've already created our accounts. With this account, it modifies our omni tool to give it a scanning function. So, scan the entire room then, and it'll upload it on the app, and I'll do the same. What it does is it takes both rooms, and it makes virtual adjustments so we can do what we need to do. Ok, and the long box in the room... you can open that too."

"Long box? Where?" she said as she looked around

Benezia laughed, "Babe, I'm going to say you probably placed your suitcase on it."

She walked over to her suitcase then removed it and opened the box "Wow, what the fuck?" She looked down at the same size virtual asari partner robot. "Is that—"

"Me? Yes, sort of but a grey and black robot. It's linked to my suit, and it will do everything I do."

Her heart began to beat faster "Damn babe...look at you! All sexy in a box." She said then chuckled as she reached in and pulled the robotic asari out "Ya know, I was expecting this to be heavy..."

"I know me too. It's ridiculously light."

"Want me to place you on the bed?"

"No, off to the left-hand corner of the bed because that's where I'm standing now, but it'll adjust once activated. Tell me where you'll be, and I'll place this robot is the same general location."

"Oh, umm well near the left-hand corner of the bed but further toward the middle." She said then looked down at the hole in her crotch then smiled and quickly grabbed the specs and turned them on and linked it to her omni tool. "Ok babe, turning off video so I can put these on." she said then slipped her asari specs over her fringe and secured them to her face. She looked to the left then right and jumped back when her lover was standing there "Holy shit! I was not expecting to see... well you."

Benezia laughed as she walked to her, "I know me too, but I previously uploaded full-length pictures, and it took our color and little tidbits into account."

"I love this already." she said as she sat down then placed her hands on her lover's hips and pulled her between her legs. She kissed her stomach as her hands glided up her rear, "Mmmm, I miss you."

She smiled as she took a quick breath, "Oh my god... this is amazing. I can feel you. I mean, I feel it but know it's your movements."

Mili groaned slightly, "You won't get my tongue effect, will you?"

Benezia pouted "No... one of the bad things but your basic kisses will have to do."

Mili smiled "This is nice but doesn't replace feeling you for real."

Benezia pushed her and Mili grunted as she fell back onto the bed. She closed her eyes when she could feel her touching her sex and could feel her lips on her neck "nMmm baby...I love you..."

"I love you too baby."

She smiled when her hand came down and slapped her ass then heard her lover moan "Ohh, I'm taking this every time I'm going away." She shook her hand at the metal feeling instead of cushion "Your ass feels much better by the way."

Benezia giggled "Your hand feels better." She looked down at her breasts "Tell me if you can feel this."

—/

Miranda knocked on Mili's door and didn't get a response, but her door was green and not red, so she waved her hand in front of it "Hey—" Her eyes widen at her daughter covered in black as she was moaning and what looked to be a robot on top of her. She turned to leave then heard her say "Oww fuck that hurt! What was that? Oww fuck my nipple." Her brows pinched, and she turned slowly back to her. "Mili, are you… having sex with a machine?" She smiled when her daughter jumped then looked beyond the robot, and she saw her with goggles covering her eyes.

Mili quickly grabbed the sheet and covered her body as she squealed, "What the fuck, mom!" She looked at the robot then removed her specs "It's Benezia virtually."

Miranda turned a shade of red "Wow... ok... sorry. Your door was green and I...Umm didn't mean to..., but it was strange that you were fondling a robot."

She rubbed her arm, then pushed the robot "It's not funny."

Miranda arched a brow then Mili pointed to her auxiliary piece "Nezzie...is laughing."

She nodded, "So... Umm I guess you're busy."

"Me busy? Nooooooo...I was just... you know fucking a robot..."

She smirked, "You're such a smart ass!"

"I can't help it, it's hereditary. What did you need?"

She looked down as she said, "Umm…well... ummm nothing. I'll talk to you about it tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Are you sure?"Asked Mili

"Ummm...yea… it's ok." She said then smiled weakly

She scrunched her brow markings and thought for a moment then looked at her lover, "Hey, Umm...let me, call you back in a bit."

Benezia pinched her brow markings and huffed "Baby... I'm already—"

"I know me too, but it won't be too long. I don't think."

"What's going on?" Asked Benezia

She looked over at her mom then shook her head "I'm not sure. Wait for me? I'll call you in a bit."

"Ok, I will. I love you."

Mili smiled "I love you too. Bye." She said then ended the call and looked toward her mom "Ummm if you don't mind I'd like to grab my robe really quick instead of sitting here naked with my tits hanging out as we talk."

Miranda smiled and gave a quick laugh, "Sorry, I thought you asari didn't mind being naked. Besides, you have a suit on, and it's not showing anything."

Mili chuckled "I don't mind that's why I sleep naked, but I find it strange… oh, fuck it." She got out of bed and grabbed her robe. She heard her mom laughing as she slid her robe on. "V.I ease the lights to sixty percent. She walked over to the small table in her room and sat down. "What's on your mind."

Miranda looked at her, then said, "I can't talk to you with that black stuff all over your face."

"Huh?" she replied, then touched her face and said, "Oh, I forgot about that. Hang on." She got up and walked to the bathroom and remove the pieces from her face. She walked back in and sat down, "That better?"

Miranda nodded, "Yes, thank you." She said then took a seat at the table and interlocked her fingers as she placed them on the table. She sat there for a moment, then let out a long breath, "I want to die."

"WHAT?" She exclaimed

"Ok…. That came out harsh." She said as she got up from the table and walked the room and blurted out, "I mean… There are so many thoughts in my head, and I want to tell Liara. God, it's killing me that I don't tell my best friend or my lover because I tell her everything. Especially something of this magnitude, but I want to fake my death."

Mil ran her hands over her crest "Mom… no… why?"

She let out a breath "It was hard enough when I thought I lost you and you're not even really mine, but I love you as my own. I can't bear the thought of watching my children die before me. All of them… except you, Sam, Cam, and Sarah. My heart is going to break over and over and over and over again. Not to mention all my grandbabies as well. A mother should never have to watch her children die or become old before me. I'm a hundred and thirty-five but only in actuality half that age, if that. My life expectancy was extended beyond normal humans because of me being genetically modified, and now it has been extended even longer because of Shepard's nanites. Now my aging process is down to a snail crawl. I'm not complaining about not aging or living longer, and I don't mind it because I have my asari family but my children… I just can't." She looked at Mili with tears streaming down her face.

Seeing her mom break down like this was ripping her heart in half. "Oh…mom. Faking your death will devastate Liara and your children."

She cried into her hands then said, "I know, and I don't want to hurt her or them. I don't know what to do, and I've thought it over rigorously." She said as she breathed out choppy breaths.

Tears trickled down her face just from seeing her this way "Why don't you give them all Shep's blood?"

Miranda looked at her "I thought about that but I don't want to do that to them. It's bad enough five of us have this…well and the test subjects. The galaxy will start to wonder—"

"What if you marketed it…sold it?"

"And have everyone living longer? God… that could be disastrous. Fountain of youth plus enhanced abilities. UGH, No way!"

She let out a breath, "Yea… I know the first asari who would want that."

"Well, …here's another thing… I've been working on something in a private facility… Cerberus had the technology for it when we fixed Shep the first time. It was a fail-safe just in case the real Shep didn't work out."

"What's that?"

"Something I've been putting together for Liara, and it won't be unveiled until centuries from now."

"You have a clone, or you're brewing one?"

"Yes, She will ummm crumble to pieces unlike no other when he dies. Nothing like how I did or you because we heal and move on after time. I healed quicker because of her love, but her number one love is Shepard, and that will never change."

"Why do you do it if you know that?"

Miranda shrugged, "I don't know… because we have a bond and the love is there. I don't ever want to tear their relationship apart, and that's not what I'm trying to do. I honestly don't mind being second. They both love me, and we all share. I could probably leave and find someone else, but I don't know if I want to deal with another man's bullshit when I already know them so well." She shrugged, "I don't know, maybe I will when I return." She paced the room then said, "But back to Liara, even though she is asari she just doesn't work that way at all. She will shut down completely and fall into a black hole of nothingness. I saw a bit of that when she thought he died again. The first time he died she just changed into a different person. To look into her eyes and see nothing but emptiness was heart-wrenching. To see no soul, no glow, no nothing… it was like the light just left her, and it broke my heart even more. Even with the loss of my husband, I was more concerned about her well being even though I was in pain." She took a breath, "When the time finally comes. I'll need several scans of his brain to upload to the clone. When he wakes, it'll be like nothing ever happened. He will have all his memories but just a new body."

"Shit… talk about dangerous. That's just as bad as having the nanites circling the galaxy."

"I know! It's why I work on it in a secret facility. I know the nanites will eventually get out in the galaxy. I'm honestly surprised they haven't after all these years. Probably because they're unstable."

"So, what about you?"

"I think I'll just go into a cryogenic stasis chamber for a very long time. Come back maybe when my children are long gone and my grandchildren. Let the pain hit me all at one time then get over it. Live out the rest of my life then die."

"If you want this to be a secret it won't because I keep nothing from Benezia."

She let out a breath as she ran her fingers through her hair "I had a feeling you were completely open to her. She can't tell Liara about the clone... not now or even later. She needs to try and grieve..."

"Yea but why me?"

"Because I want this to happen while we're down here."

She shook her head as she said, "NO! no no, no! I can't. You need to tell Liara this."

"No!" she said had firmly.

"Yes! If you truly love her, then you have to tell her what you're doing. Not about the Shepard clone but about you. You can't just purposely rip yourself from her life and let everyone think you're dead then just come back one day."

"Yes, I can, and I will rip myself from her life even if I ease into it. I don't want to have to look into her eyes and break her heart." She looked away, "Liara...is a very stubborn and a difficult asari to deal with. I know exactly how she can be... right down to the letter. I know her, and she will not accept it."

"Uggggh but you're making me do it."

"I don't know what to do! Please help me." Said as she plopped down in the chair next to Mili.

"What if you told her remotely and then just did it. She won't know where you are and she can't stop you."

Miranda rose her brows quickly "True…" She took a deep breath as she stood. "I think I'll do just that." She patted her daughter's leg. "Thank you." She said as she began to walk toward the door.

Mil stood quickly "Mom… wait!"

Miranda turned, "Yes?"

She walked over to her and hugged her tight, "I love you." She began to cry as she squeezed her tighter "I'll miss you terribly."

Miranda held on to her, "I love you too, and please don't try to stop me."

Mili held on to her as she cried "I won't because I know how stubborn you can be and I understand why you're doing this. I just hope Liara will."

She pulled away gently as she chuckled then looked into her teary eyes with her own teary eyes. "Thank you for this. Don't you worry about Liara she'll get over it." She turned and walked out then lingered by the door "I hope when I return, you and Nezzie have lots of babies running around."

Mil laughed "Babies..."

"You've made me very proud and you've grown to be a wonderful asari, and I know your father would feel the same. I love you, and I'll see you again." She said as she exited.

Mil plopped down on her bed and cried into her hands then tapped at her omni tool and vid called her bondmate but didn't bother to wipe her face.

Benezia looked down and smiled when she saw a vidcall coming from her bondmate. She answered it quickly, "Baby..." her smile faded the moment she saw her face "What's the matter? What happened?"

Mil wiped the tears from her face then mumbled "Umm my mom wants to die… this trip will be the last time that I see her."

Benezia pinched her brow markings "What? Your mom is dying? What did you say?"

Mil cleared her throat "Not my mom... Miranda."

Benezia sat up quickly "Oh my god! Does my mom know?"

She shook her head "She told me but didn't want to tell Liara."

"Shit! Mom is going to have a panic attack!"

Mil shook her head "Babe, Miranda is not coming back... this trip to earth was her goodbye to her children. She wants to fake her death, but she's really just going to put herself in a cryo-pod."

"What!?" She exclaimed. She ran her hands over her crest "Wait... babe breathe. You're not making any sense. Is she dying, going in a cryo-pod or both? I don't understand."

"She doesn't want to die... she just doesn't want to see all her children die long before her."

Nezzie lowered her head, "God... I didn't even think of that..." she sighed, "Mom is going to be devastated."

"I know. She never told her and didn't want to either. She asked me to do it, but I talked her into doing it. Not only will Liara be crushed... so will everyone else...Sam...Sara." She began to shake as she cried.

"Oh my god, Sam... Sarah... they love her so much. Ugh... when they find out she'll be back they'll be angry. Hurt for leaving them."

Mil took a choppy breath "She's just my stepmom but god I love her so much. My heart is breaking because she wants to leave us. I'm sorry…. I ummm… shouldn't have called.."

"Emmie, wait..." she quickly said

Mili just sat there, "Hmm?"

"Don't leave, talk to me baby or just lay there and I'll talk to you."

Mili nodded as she laid down on the bed then cleared her throat, "I wish you were here."

"Me too, love. Want me to active the robot and cuddle you?"

She nodded gently

"Ok."

Mili closed her eyes briefly when she felt the robot against her back then wrap its arms around her. She sniffled as she leaned into it. "I love you so much babe."

Benezia kissed her shoulder "I love you too. Close your eyes and try to sleep. I'll be here until I know you're asleep."

Mili nodded

-/

Miranda wiped her face as she exited Mili's room then took several breaths as she looked around the large five bedroom suite. She smiled when she noticed the commandos were asleep. She scanned the front door, and her omni tool picked up two door motion sensors, and she grunted then mumbled: "I should have known this wasn't going to be easy." She walked to the balcony door and noticed the same sensors on the sliding door, "Shit..." Miranda walked to her bedroom and grabbed her small personal backpack and left the rest of her belongings behind. She dropped a data pad on her bed then crawled halfway out the window and shot a grapple at their balcony. She activated her cloak then leaped out the window, and as the gusts of wind slammed against her body she mumbled "Fuck! Hopefully, I don't kill myself with this idiot move." She gripped the rope tightly as she swung toward the balcony then lowered herself down one floor below. Her foot reached down as it touch the railing then she held the rope tightly when guts of wind hit her hard. "Shit!" she yelped as it pushed her off the railing and swung outward. When she swung back she stopped herself when her feet hit the railing then she quickly lowered herself down. She let out a breath when her feet were firm on the floor. She walked up to the sliding door, unlocked it then made her way into the room and out of the hotel.

-/

Miranda looked down at her omni tool at the extremely late time. She wiped her face and took deep breathes. _Well, chicken shit let's do this._ She tapped at her omni tool and rang Liara. She didn't bother to vidcall her but just call her.

Liara stirred at the sound of her omni tool buzzing on the nightstand. _Ughh…_ she looked at the time 0145 _What the hell…_ She grabbed the omni tool and saw that it was from Miri. She smiled but let the call go to voicemail then she sent her a message.

Message from Liara: Give me a minute. Shep is asleep. I have to pee then I'll call you back in my office.

Miranda didn't expect her call to go to voicemail, but then she saw the message. _Shit!_

Liara's face fell when she saw the look on Miranda's face and her puffy eyes, "Are you ok? Have you been crying? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Lia, I called you... to tell you goodbye…"

"Goodbye?" She shook her head "I don't understand… what do you mean?"

"I'm leaving you… Shepard… everyone."

Liara's heart began to beat faster, but her brain couldn't contemplate exactly what her heart already understood. "Leaving? What? Like… never coming back.. leaving?"

Miranda scrunched her face "Yess…"

Liara's eyes filled with tears "I knew it! You lied to me, and this is how you're telling me? On a damn vidcall! This is what you've been hiding from me for years?"

Miranda nodded, "Yes, I couldn't face you. I didn't want to tell you at all, but Mil demanded that I did." She said as her lip quivered and her tears flowed down her face, "I'm sorry…"

"Miri, Come back here and talk to me about this or I will leave now and go after you."

"Lia, I can't do this! I would rather die than to watch all my children and grandchildren die before me."

"Die… You better not! God damn it, Miranda!" She stood in anger, exited her office, and went to her first's room "Shay, get up! I want my ship ready to go NOW!"

Shay jolted out of bed, "What? Ok, what's happening?"

"Just get up!" she hissed as she exited then walked into her bedroom "Jon, get up! We need to leave now!"

Shepard jumped, "What happened…?" He received a flood of emotions the moment he woke, "What the fuck?" He looked at Miranda on the screen, "Miri, you better not!"

Liara looked at Shepard "Call Mili and tell her to stop Miranda. Do not let her leave that room."

"Damn it Liara STOP! I'm not going to kill myself. I'm putting myself in a cryo chamber. I'll wake several centuries from now when my children are long gone."

"Please don't do this you're breaking my heart." Liara barely managed to get out as she sobbed.

"I know, and this is why I couldn't face you in person. I'm sorry! I love you both."

"What am I supposed to tell your children when you never come back? Our children? Cameron and Sam are only sixty... Kesarah is only fifty-five. This will crush them! You're his mother and their father."

Miranda grabbed at her heart. "I need you to take care of them for me."

Liara shook her head, "God damn you! You're abandoning them! What of Ori? She will experience what you don't want to experience. What then?"

She looked down as she shook from her breaking heart "I'm sorry—"

"Wait, Miranda, Cameron was born with nanites in his body. He will live centuries without you! You know how attached he is to you."

Miranda looked down and cried, "My baby…" She took a deep breath then said, "Give him the same option when the time comes. I have to go. I love you both. Goodbye."

Liara's eyes widened as the video faded to black, and she frantically said, "MIRI!"

Miranda took off her omni tool, disable it then removed the tracking device on it and destroyed it. She dropped her omni tool in the storage bin with her other valuables. _She was the last one out of all of them._ She let out a breath as she closed her eyes. _Fuck._ She took several deep breaths to try and calm herself, but her tears continued to flow. She covered her face as she curled into a ball on her bed and cried until she fell asleep.

-/

Mili woke when her omni tool dinged and she pinched her brow markings when she saw that it was her uncle calling. She answered in a groggy voice, "Hello?"

"Mili, get up and stop Miranda from leaving that hotel room, right now! Liara and I are on our way to you. Do NOT let her leave, and I want you to sit until we get there."

"Yes, sir." She said as the call faded. She jumped out of bed and threw on her robe quickly then ran to her mother's room. She walked in but saw an empty bed. "V.I lights on full." She looked around the room, "Mom?" When she didn't get an answer, she walked toward her bathroom, "Mom?" She waited for a brief moment, then exited the room as she mumbled "Fuck." She ran to Gen's room, "Gen, get up!"

Gen jolted awake, "What? Huh? Yea?"

"Miranda is gone! I thought you had sensors on the door?"

Gen got up quickly, "We do, and they're tamper-proof."

"Then, where the fuck is she?"

She shook her head, "I don't know." She hit the alarm on her omni tool to buzz the other two commandos "Ladies, we have an alert. Miranda is missing!"

The other two commandos came running out of their room, "What?"

Gen rushed over to Miranda's room and looked around then noticed the open window "Mili, she left out the window. It's the only viable option." She said as she walked to the window, leaned on it then looked eight stories down, "Fuck... I hope to god she didn't drop all the way down."

Mil shook her head as she let out a breath, "Shit!"

"What's going on?" asked Gen

"I'll tell you later. I need to call Liara."

Liara looked down at her omni tool and answered quickly, "Yes?"

"Auntie, Miranda is gone, and I'm assuming she left after we talked. That was about three hours ago.

"Nooo… no no no noooo!" she sobbed then just ended the call.

-/

Three days later, Liara was sitting on the couch lengthwise in her hotel room as she stared at the wall in a daze as the tv ran in the background. Her body jolted when her omni tool beeped as she received a call from her daughter Gwyn. She looked down as it continued to ring then she finally answered it plainly "Hello...?"

Gwyn frantically said, "MOM! Oh my god… have you seen the news? Are you ok?"

"No, why? What happened?" She said quickly as she turned to the television.

"Channel 8 hurry or find a news station, it's all over the television."

Liara grabbed the remote and changed the channel quickly. She looked at the tv and saw a trail of debris then a crashed and burned up ship with several people on the scene. Her eyes widen as she began to breathe heavily, and her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest. "It can't be... there's an escape pod on her ship!" She said then read the GNN Headline: _Billionaire Miranda Lawson-Shepard found dead in a fatal ship crash._

Liara disconnected her call then mumbled to herself as she stood and walked closer to the screen "Nooo she told me it was going to be a cryo chamber…" She shook her head as tears dribbled down her face. "She… wouldn't do this. No…"

Shepard ran into the room and to his wife. "Baby…" he said as he tried to grab ahold of his frantic wife.

Liara screamed as she swatted at his hands "No! She wouldn't DO THIS!"

"Maybe it was an accident. Things happen it wasn't her ship; it could have been faulty."

His wife clung to him as she sobbed and he held her then slid down to the floor with her. Tears ran down his face as he held her close. _Oh, Miri..._

Liara sobbed heavily for a moment then sniffled "I want to go to the crash site." She said as she pulled away from her husband and stood. She pointed to the television and firmly said: "That... is not her!"

"Lia..." he said as he stood

She shook her head as she closed her eyes "It's not her...it's not..." she said softly

He wrapped his arms around her, then kissed her crest, "Well... let's go find out." He turned to his crew that was hovering nearby "Let's get ready to go."

They looked at him and nodded, "Yes, Sir."

-/

Mili looked down at her omni tool when it dinged then answered, "Hey, sexy." She pinched her brow markings at her bondmate, crying, "What's wrong?"

She sniffled as she wiped her face then took a breath "Umm... it's Miranda... she was found dead this morning..."

Mil blinked rapidly "What? No..."

"Babe, it's all over the news..."

Mili quickly turned the tv on and flipped through the channels until she saw it. _Billionaire Miranda Lawson-Shepard dead from a fatal ship crash_ Mili looked at the news, and her heart dropped into her stomach "OH my god, she never made it…. Babe, I have to go." She quickly said, then ended the call as she ran out of her room, "Gen, let's go!"

"What's happened?" Asked Genrie

"Miranda died this morning in a ship crash. I want to go to the crash location."

She shook her head as she brought her hand to her mouth, "Oh my goodness..."

—/

Liara's ship touched down at the crash site, and the news crews quickly hurried over to her as she exited her ship, "Dr. T'Soni-Shepard, how do you feel about this tragic event?"

Liara held up her hand as she blocked the cameras "Mortified, and could you please remove these cameras from my face." She said as she walked closer to the ship. Her heart was beating fast as she got closer to the vessel. There was debris scattered everywhere, and she could smell the stench from the burning metal. Liara turned her head toward her husband (Goddess, it did a nose dive directly into the ground then bounced. How could she lose control like that? She was an excellent pilot.)

He scanned the crash site as he shook his head (I don't know, there's no way... unless she completely loss all functionality of controls...but she would have ejected long before that. I don't understand.)

(Exactly my thoughts. She would have had time unless she was inebriated, but that's not like her at all. The only other thing I can think of is if she passed out but again not her.)

Shepard nodded (Precisely. I say something is fishy here. All of this doesn't make any sense. If she went down then someone knocked her out and left her to die. That's the only thing that comes to mind.)

Liara grit her teeth and clenched her fists at the thought. Shepard turned to his wife as he felt her becoming angry. (I know, and if that's the case we will avenge her.)

They walked over to the closest alliance personnel "Excuse me, where's the body?" asked Liara

The soldier turned to her, "Ma'am, this is a sealed-off area, and only authorized personnel are allowed beyond this point."

"We are her next of kin as are the many others that will probably soon arrive. I want to see this body."

"And who are you?" He asked

"I am Dr. Liara T'Soni-Shepard." She pointed to her husband "This is Spectre Jonathan Shepard."

The young man snapped to attention, "Commander Shepard!"

Shepard saluted him, "Sergeant Devors at ease. I'm retired from the alliance navy. It's just Spectre Shepard, and you don't need to salute me."

"Yes, sir."

"Can we proceed in identifying the body? How do you know it's her?" Asked Shepard

"Sir, her remains are currently with the on-site medical examiner."

"Take us to that area please."

Liara and Shepard walked into the temporary medical area "Hello?" she said as she looked around.

They saw a Salarian come into view "Hello, can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm Dr. Liara T'Soni-Shepard this is Jonathan Shepard we're here to see the remains of Miranda Lawson-Shepard."

"Ahh Yes next of kin that was fast." He said as she walked over to a portable cryo pod and touched the lid then waited for it to open as he tapped at his data pad "I took several scans of the body and made a small incision on her forearm here to grab a bone sample."

Liara looked down at the charred up body then looked away immediately. She covered her mouth as she gagged slightly then leaned into her husband's chest as she began to cry. (Goddess, she's worse than you were.)

Shepard held her tightly then glanced over toward the cryo pod then said: "Are you certain it's her?"

"From the scans and the bone analysis, yes. According to what we have on file, it matches."

Liara narrowed her eyes as she pulled away from her husband and wiped her face "From what you have on file?" She looked at her husband (Miranda doesn't have a file.)

(She has a tiny one with minimal info but nothing like a normal person, no.)

(You know what I mean.)

The Salarian pointed to the data pad "Yes, these scans match up to her information in her file." He said then showed them the match displaying on his screen.

Liara leaned in and looked at the file, "Did you release this to the press?"

He shook his head, "No..."

She pinched her brow markings then looked at her husband then back at the doctor "Then how would they know?"

The doctor shrugged, "Well, I would assume because the ship belongs to her..."

Liara scoffed "That ship does not belong to her..."

"On the contrary, Dr. T'Soni-Shepard it does." He said then showed her the documents.

Her mouth dropped open as she looked at the documents, "I thought... I knew about all her transportation vehicles." Her train of thought ceased when she heard arguing in the distance. She exited the small medical area to see Mili yelling at the soldiers on duty "I don't give a damn what you say. I'm her daughter, and you will let me pass, or I will move you!" She pointed to Liara, "That's my mother-in-law right there!"

They turned and looked at Liara "Ma'am?"

Liara nodded, "She's my daughter-in-law and Miranda Lawson's daughter."

Mil walked up to her aunt "Please tell me that is not her."

Liara dropped her head "According to the medical information, it is."

Mil opened her mouth then closed it "But... it can't be. She...told me..."

Liara hugged her, "I know sweetie."

She pulled away gently as she looked down at the email she received from an unknown source. She wiped her tears then clicked the link.

Dear Mili,

I'm sorry for doing this to you. I'm not dead that was all for show. To give my kids a reason to grieve instead of me just abandoning them. I spoke to Liara about going into a cryo chamber but whether or not you want to tell Liara the truth is up to you. I've sent you my coordinates. You and you alone have access to the facility. I've left you information on my cryo chamber and everything else. If you could periodically check on the facility to make sure it has power and that everything is running accordingly. If you decide to tell Liara, she will demand to come here, which is fine. Please don't attempt to release me early. I know exactly how she is, and I've already set my unit to release at a specific time with a not before or not after date unless something critically happens to the facility then fail-safes are in place. If you attempt to manually override it, it won't until after the not before date.

Liara is the executor of my will, and my lawyer or someone from his firm will be contacting her. He will explain to her what I want to have done, but I will give you a brief rundown in this email as well because I have a feeling you'll be showing her this email. Over the years I've been continuously depositing money into a separate account and money from my business's will continue to slowly deposit money into this account and this is what I have set aside for my future. I have also set aside a large chunk of money into an account to maintain this facility which you and Liara have access to. The legal part... Most of my children have already gained access to most of their inheritance. Sam and Sarah are the only two that are different, and their mothers will have the power to minimize how much they will receive yearly until they reach the age of two hundred. Oh, and this same rule applies to Cameron, but Shepard or Liara will have the power to minimize his output until the age of one hundred. As for you, your money is one hundred percent active now, and your account information is below. There are no restrictions, and you may do what you please with it as is the same as everyone else. As for the rest of the money that hasn't been divided into these accounts yet will get divided up equally amongst all my children.

All of my businesses will be handed over to Liara, and she may do with them as her heart desires. The documents attached are all the legal documents the lawyer should give her and anything different is a red flag. I'm sorry for putting this all on your shoulders. I love you and thank you again. I'll see you again.

Love Miranda (Mom)

Mili shook her head and grunted then Liara looked over "What?"

Mili showed her the email. "This..."

Liara leaned over and read the email then clenched her fists. _Damn you!_ She turned to her, "I want to see this facility!

Mili nodded "As do I. I'll meet you there in a few days?"

She shook her head "No, now!"

Shepard touched his wife's shoulder "Shouldn't we get Gwyn down here and some security devices before we proceed?"

Liara let out a breath "Yes, I suppose you're right. Mil, three days then we will head to this facility." She turned to her first-hand lady, "Shay, I need a shipment of security cameras asap."

Shay nodded, "Yes, ma'am. Do you want something local or Kas's?"

"Something quick, so local that's sufficient enough to do what I want to be done." Replied Liara

"Yes, ma'am. I'll have them before we leave for this facility. Anything else?"

"I don't think so, but I won't know until we get there and until Gwyn takes a look." She said as she dialed her daughter, "Gwynne, I need you to leave for earth right now."

"Mom, how bad is it? Are you ok?" asked Gwyn

"I'm pissed off actually, and she's not dead but in a cryo chamber."

"WHAT?"

"I know, I just found out. She's at this secret facility, and I need you to come take a look at this place. Do not tell anyone about this.. not even Lena until we discuss this further."

"Ok, ummm let me call Lena and let her know that I need to head to earth. I'll pack a bag and leave today. I'll see you in a few days."

"Alright, Come to me and we'll leave here together to this facility. Oh, bring whatever tech equipment you might need for hacking, research, and so forth."

"Actually, Gwyn, Nez is on her way to me. I'll have her stop and pick you up." Said Milizkia

"Ok, see you in a few days."

-/

Benezia exited the local sky taxi and walked briskly through the lobby of the hotel then to an elevator. She hit the button for the eighth floor and tapped at her leg as it moved at what seemed a turtle speed. She exited and walked slowly then ran down the hallway until she came to room 825. She knocked on the door, and when her bondmate answered, she hugged her tight, "Oh baby, how you feeling?"

"Better now that she's not dead and that you're here." She said then kissed her "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, my love. So, where this facility?" asked Benezia

Mili looked at her omni tool "According to this, in the middle of nowhere."

—/

Mili and the others touched down at the coordinates specified then walked up to an enormous hill. They looked around, then Mili said, "Ummm, I don't see anything."

Gwyn tapped at her omni tool and did a scan of the area "Wow, this building is massive and the majority of it is underground." She waved them on as she continued to walk then said: "Over here…" She placed her hand on the illusion and watched as it disappeared then a massive door and a side panel appeared with a biometric hand scanner.

Mili scrunched her face, "Oh, and she expected me to find this place without any help. Yea… ok!"

Liara grunted then walked up to the door and placed her hand on it. The pad scanned her hand, then they heard a robotic voice say _Access Denied._ They also read it on the small led screen that had red lettering. Mili walked up as she shook her head. "Auntie, I told you it wouldn't work."

"Yea well, I had to try." Liara fumed as she crossed her arms. "How is this going to work if you've never been here?"

Mili shrugged "I don't know, but the email said only I had access." She said as she walked up to the panel and placed her hand on the pad. It scanned her hand as the pad turned from gray to green then she jerked her hand back when she felt a tiny prick. "Ow shit!" She exclaimed as she looked at her finger and saw a tiny bit of her indigo blood bubble out. She grunted then sucked on the tip of her finger "It pricked me."

Benezia looked at her "You ok?"

Mili nodded "Mhmm"

Gwyn pinched her brow markings "It must have taken a blood sample to verify."

They heard a voice say, "Milizkia T'Seius?"

Mili furrowed her forehead, "Ummm Yes?"

"Voice recognition approved. You may enter." It said as they heard four large thunking noise as bolts released and the door unlocked. Mili walked up to the door, and the door slid open, and the others followed. They saw another large door down the short hallway, and once they all passed through the first door, they looked around as a triangular laser grid shot out of the corner and rapidly moved up and down then side to side. "What the hell was that?" asked Mili

Gwyn smiled "We were just scanned."

They looked up when they heard the automated voice, "Multiple unauthorized entities present. All present entities are on the list to enter, and you may proceed."

Liara placed her hands on her hips "Are you serious?" She waved Mili on to the door, "Go open the door!"

She walked up to the door and placed her hand on it, and it lit up green, and the voice said, "Authorization approved." It paused, then said, "Eye scan required." Then a compartment slid open.

She grunted then leaned into the scanner as it scanned her iris "Access granted." Then they heard another set of locks, and the door slid open.

Shepard let out a long whistle when he walked in "Damn look at this place."

"I'm assuming this facility is one of several secret Cerberus facilities only Miranda and TIM knew about." said Liara

"Yes, you're probably correct there." replied Shepard

Mili looked around "She said there would be documentation on her cryo pod and what needed to be done about maintaining the facility. Power source etc."

Liara nodded, then spoke, "Ok, Gwyn, you're up."

Gwyn nodded as she walked up to the massive console panel and tapped at the computer, then they heard the robotic voice "Access code required."

Liara grunted then looked at Mil "What now?"

Mil shrugged "I have no idea... it's not like she left me a lot of direction on what exactly to do. All she said was I was the only one that had access, and there were documents on what to do."

"And where are these documents?" replied Liara

Mili raised her hands "I don't know! In the computer, I'm assuming, but she didn't say anything about an access code."

Gwyn looked at the computer and tapped at it again, and the computer said _Access code required_ then she said "Milizkia T'Seius."

The computer replied, "Voice recognition denied."

Gwyn gave a lopsided grin "Ok, Mili your turn. Come here and say your name."

Mili walked closer and tapped at the computer then said her name. The computer said. "Access code correct and voice recognition approved." They saw the screen go from black to a graphic interface and it said push here. She pushed the button, and she saw a holographic Miranda appear "Mili, welcome to the facility. I'm hoping you didn't have any issues getting in or accessing the computer." She paused, "I've detected non-approved entities within this facility, and certain information has been denied at this time. If you'd like to return alone, then I will give you access to pertinent information."

Gwyn gave a slight smile "She's good. Biometric scanners to identify all life forms in the facility just in case Mil was forced to open the facility under duress." Her eyes widened when she heard her speak, "Gwyn, that is correct."

Liara looked at the hologram "Miranda?"

"Yes, Liara, what is your question?"

"Why did you do this?"

"I've already answered that question in a previous conversation."

"Ok, what is going on here?"

"Unfortunately, you are outside the current security protocol, and until that is initiated, I am unable to comply."

Liara grunted as she flared her nostrils.

Gwyn smiled "I'm impressed Auntie you made a V.I of yourself with limited response to certain entities."

"Gwyn, you are correct."

"Everyone exit so Mili can run through her first phase of whatever Miranda had planned. I'm assuming after that is complete Mil can change a few protocols to allow different entities access." said Gwyn

Mil stood there and waited as everyone left then said "Ok, everyone is gone. Now what?"

Miranda's hologram appeared "Mili, welcome to the facility. I'm hoping you didn't have any issues getting in or accessing the computer. There are three quadrants within this facility. Quadrant A will be my cryo pod and several other empty ones just in case others may need to use them. Those others would be Oriana and Cameron. I have left documentation on what would need to be done if they decide to use them. Quadrant B will be Shepard's and any equipment necessary for his clone. Quadrant C is the largest of the three and contains various items. Items that have been accumulated over many years when The Illusive Man a.k.a T.I.M was alive. Many of these items I know nothing about, but everything should be available in the database. This facility was his number one secret facility, and anything of importance was kept here then transferred to where ever it needed to be. As far as I know, no one from the remaining Cerberus operatives know of this facility. No one has attempted to seek it out, and if they did, I've overridden all the databases to only accept who I have listed within the mainframe.

If non approved entities are in the facility no matter if you want access to Quadrant B, it will not activate. Even after the approval of particular entities after this first initiation, access to Quadrant B will still be non-accessible until after a specific date."

"What if something happens to Shepard before then?"

"In the untimely event that Shepard dies before my estimated time, then we will cover that then but not now. As of now, my estimated time is somewhere between 2550 to 2650. When that happens, I want you to attempt to give Liara time to grieve ten to twenty years to see if she can get over him. I'm honestly hoping that we will not have to awaken clone Shepard. I'm hoping she can be strong enough to pull herself out of the darkness and live again without him then move on as the rest of the world does. If you see that she becomes extremely depressive and splits into a dangerous phase, try to get her help first but if nothing comes of it, then release him earlier than my set grievance time. Everything you need to release him and I are in this database. Don't worry, they're exact step by step instructions. I know Liara, and I know Gwyn will be there for assistance and possibly Riley if she continues down her medical path which I'm sure she will. At the end of this initial message, I will give basic access to the interior facility to all that have been scanned, logged, and approved."

"Got it. Wait, you said 2550 to 2650 that's three to four centuries from now. Wouldn't you be back to service Shepard yourself?"

"My current not before date is set at 2400 but my not after date is set at 2700. I can be revived at any time within those parameters. If I am not revived by 2700, then my unit will revive me by itself, and I will know that something has happened. If something catastrophic happens to this facility, then all cryo units except for Shepard's clone will automatically be revived."

"Well, if you're here when Shepard dies then Liara won't need him, she'll have you."

"Not true. She will always need him, but she will heal through it better if I was around and possibly move on with her life if I wasn't around."

"Wait, do you want to come back after her twenty-year grievance?"

"Mili, that is for you to decide but know that my life expectancy is three to four, possibly five times that of a regular human. Shepard's is roughly three to four times the life expectancy of humans, and Cameron's is probably two times the life expectancy of humans."

"Damn… are you sure that's right?"

"According to my calculations of my currently enhanced genetic makeup and the nanites. Shepard has several synthetic replacements, upgraded skin weaves, bone weaves and his nanites that are extending his life. Cameron just has the nanites extending his life frame. These are all just estimates, and we won't know until we find out."

"Then 2400 would be spot on and you would live well into Liara's Matriarch years."

"Yes, that's very possible."

"Besides your children and grandchildren. Why else are you doing this? Do you want Liara to live the rest of Shepard's life alone with him?"

"I think it's fair that you would ask that, but my main reason is because of my children, and I feel that Liara should live her life with her husband."

"Ok, Do you want her alone to yourself after he dies?"

"I think it's fair that you would ask that, but I could always move on and create another life. The question is, can Liara?"

"Ok, then do you not want me to tell her when I awaken you?"

"That my dear is up to you, but I know Liara all too well. She will want me awakened the moment she is able and will be here and ready several days before that date. She will also ask when I will be released."

Mil gave a quick side nod, "True."

"Mili, don't try anything sneaky because I've thought of everything and I know Liara and Shepard. I know she will want security measures in place here and those cameras will be active while the facility is empty, but I will deactivate them while there is an activate presence here. Anything and everything that was not approved and set by me will have limited functionality."

"Damn Mom... But why, it's Liara."

"As I said, I know Liara. She will be mad, but she'll get over it. There's nothing you, Gwyn, EDI, Tali, Kasumi or anyone else for that matter, can do to change the protocols I have in place. The moment I detect Tali, EDI, or Kasumi in the exterior portion of this facility, I will not provide you access."

"How come, Gwyn?"

"I have a chain of access in place just in case something happens and she is part of that chain. If something happens to you then next in place are the sisters from oldest to youngest then Liara."

"Why not Liara as a priority? She's your best friend... your lover."

"Liara is unstable when she's in a traumatic emotional state. She doesn't function as she normally does, and she wouldn't follow protocol."

Mili nodded, "Well, that's true. Why me, though?"

"I needed someone that wasn't Liara or Shepard and someone I could trust wholeheartedly. That someone is you. I love you as if you were my own daughter, and I knew this would be hard for you, but I knew you were strong enough to understand why I had to do this."

"Why not Sam or Sarah?"

"Because you're the oldest and I felt that they are too young to fully comprehend why I had to do this."

"What about Auntie Ori won't she suffer the same fate as you?"

"That she will, and I gave her the option to come with me, but she refused to abandon her family but as I mentioned before there is an available cryo pod if she changes her mind."

"Why are you abandoning us?"

"Because my heart can't take the pain of seeing them all die. Ori only had one child. If I only had one, then I would have remained, but I have four plus several grandbabies."

"They are all grieving badly."

"I know, but the loss of one is better in my eyes than the loss of multiple with numerous heartaches."

"You're missing out of their life."

"I didn't miss out. I saw my children grow up and get married then have children. I fulfilled my parental duties for them. I saw them have children, and I had time with them all."

"What of Cameron?"

"He was unexpected, and he threw my plans off. He is the only one that threw a monkey wrench in my plans. His family line will be the first generation with nanites as will yours."

"Wait his son Jason has nanites?"

"Yes, as does his others."

"So, nanites are spreading biologically?"

"Yes, they are. Shepard will need to keep an eye on them."

Mil shook her head "It's not the same. You're his mother."

"I was there long enough to see him marry a wonderful woman who makes him very happy and have children. I waited ten years beyond what I originally planned, and I feel Liara and Shepard will keep him in check until I return. He'll be angry with me, but I'm hoping he will forgive me if he's alive when I return."

"What about Sam and Sarah?"

"Sam has her mother Liara, and Sarah has her mother, Tevos. They also have you all, and I will see them again."

"Yea you will but after centuries of missed time. They will be angry with you when you come back."

"Maybe so, but I will take that chance just to prevent seeing my children die." The hologram waited for a minute in silence then said, "Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

Mil shook her head then said, "No, not at the moment."

"Then, I will leave you. If you seek help, then just ask for it." The hologram said then disappeared

Mil sat there for a moment then got up and walked to the front door and let the others back in.

Liara looked at her and said, "Well, what happened?

"The hologram said she knows how you operate and everything that you could possibly think of she has already thought of it."

Liara flared her nostrils as she placed her hands on her hips "Is that so?"

"Yep, she said don't even try it."

Shepard let out a small chuckle "She does kn—"

She immediately rose her finger at her husband, "Not a word..." She said, then walked further into the facility and said: "Shay, get those cameras up!"

Miranda's hologram appeared but didn't say anything.

Liara looked at it "I'm so pissed off at you right now!"

"I knew you would be and exactly why I didn't face you."

"Oh! Because you know me so damn well!" Liara hissed

"Yes, I do, actually. I predicted you would want cameras up in this facility with every security measure in place."

"Of course, I would! Why wouldn't I?"

"They'll be operational only when no one is here and not when entities are present."

"Well, that's stupid!" She grumbled

"On the contrary, it is not because it defeats the purpose of my security measures that I have put in place."

"You're a stubborn ass! I thought you were my best friend."

"I am stubborn, about as stubborn as you. You are my best friend, and I love you."

Liara took a breath as she dropped her head "I love you too, but you should have come to me about this. You just left everyone that loves you dearly behind as you sleep in a damn cryo pod."

"I wanted to come to you on many occasions, but you wouldn't have truly listened because you wouldn't have let me go without fighting me."

"You're right because I love you."

"Liara, you're fighting now, and I'm already gone. If we switched spots, you would have done the same..."

Liara shook her head then let out a breath as she gripped the chair in front of her. "How do I explain this to your asari children and Cameron?" She said as tears drizzled down her face.

"I know you will find the right words to say to them."

"So, you don't want to see your children die, but you'll miss centuries of your asari children's lives, and that's ok?"

"It's a catch twenty-two Liara. It wouldn't have mattered what I did. I still lose in the end. If I stayed, then I watch my human children die, and my grandchildren die, but I get more time with them. If I go into cryo I don't see them die, but I miss out on their lives, and everyone else's, but I come back centuries later. At that time, I get more time with my asari family. My only fault is Cameron and depending on what he decides to do, then he will be the only child I will possibly see perish."

"What if you come back centuries later and no one is here? Hmm, what then?"

"That is the chance I'm willing to take. A chance on an unknowing future. If you're not here when I return, then I will seek you out and find answers."

"What if I don't want you around anymore?"

"Liara, you love too hard to say such things."

Liara grit her teeth, "I hate you!" she yelled then began to cry.

"Liara, I know you don't mean that."

Gwyn touched her shoulder "Mom, you're arguing with a V.I hologram with only so much responsive coding."

She took a breath and looked at her daughter, "I'm sorry."

Miranda responded, "I forgive you."

Liara curled her lip, "Shut up!"

"Liara, I know you don't mean that."

Liara was about to speak when Mili said "V.I that is all the help we need. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Let me know if you need any further assistance." It said before it disappeared

They all looked at Liara when she grunted then picked up a chair and threw it across the room "How could you!"

The V.I returned then said, "Liara, I thought you'd be more understanding."

"Fuck you!" yelled Liara.

"Liara, I know you don't mean that."

"This whole thing is cowardly is what it is!"

"Cowardly? Would you stand by and watch all your children die before you?"

Liara flared her, nostrils, "Maybe..."

"That is a lie. Your children mean too much to you. You fell apart when Benezia almost died. You fell apart when Mili was taken. If you had to see, all five of your children die, then all their grandchildren die you'd crumble with every continuous heartbreak. A mother should never have to see her children die."

"Argh! Just go away."

"As you wish." the hologram said then flickered

Liara wiped her tears then said, "Wait..."

"Yes?"

"Where are you?" Asked Liara

"In Quadrant A if you feel the need to take a look."

Liara looked around the building until she saw Quadrant A then she saw Quadrant B. "What's in Quadrant B?"

"Quadrant B is restricted to authorized personnel only."

"Hmm...I guess I'm not authorized?"

"You are not. No one here is currently authorized access to Quadrant B."

Liara turned to Mili, "What's in Quadrant B?"

"I don't know she didn't tell me." she said then looked at her bondmate (I will tell you later...)

Benezia arched a brow (Ok...)

Liara slanted her eyes then looked at the hologram, "Do I need to dig further until I find out?"

"Liara, I will reveal what's in Quadrant B upon my return and in due time."

"Fine..." she grumbled as she walked to Quadrant A then over to her lover's cryo pod and placed her hand on it then whispered, "I miss you already. I know why you did what you did, and I do understand." She let out a breath "I would have done the same, but everyone is heartbroken and the way you did it... makes me so angry with you. Everyone thinks you died in such a horrific manner. Your children shattered when they heard the news. All of them... even your big strong boys." She wiped her face "My girls even broke down. Ugh and your sister..." She sighed, "I knew you wouldn't be around for forever as much as I want you to be. I would have mentally prepared for it. I was really hoping to have you around during the most difficult and young times of my life. I know I have Shepard but... Argh... I guess I'm just selfish." She closed her eyes as her hand remained on the pod "We will keep a close eye on you to ensure nothing happens to you. I love you, and I'll see you when you return." said then looked around "Miranda?"

"Yes, what can I help you with?" Replied the hologram

"When do you come back?" Asked Liara

"My not before date is set for 2400 with a not after date of 2700."

She placed her hands on her hips as she huffed, "What? Why so long?"

"2400 should be roughly when my grandchildren have passed..."

"Not Cameron's children."

"Yes, a wrench in my calculations. I didn't prepare for their nanites but felt two centuries would be plenty."

Liara tapped at her omni tool and made a note of her time frame "Mili needs to be here to let you out?"

"Yes, she does, or whoever is currently in charge. If they feel the need to let me out. I can remain until another time as long as it's not beyond 2700."

"I will make sure she lets you on when I feel the time is right."

"I figured as much."

Liara gave a slight smile then stared at the cryo pod "Several factors are playing into this. Not only your children but ours. Am I right?

"Yes and no."

She raised her brow markings as she began to pace "You also want me to live my life with Shepard. Then you want one with just me? You could have told me you didn't want to share anymore."

"Those are several factors and possibilities, but I didn't mind sharing. You should live your life with your husband; it's only fair, and I never wanted to break you too apart, nor would that have ever happened. I could have left at any time but I didn't want to, and I love you both. If you want a life with me, then I'll gladly take it because my love for you has grown extensively since our first sexual encounter."

She smiled then looked off to the side at the thought of Shepard one day passing "Did you also do this to help me with his passing in the future?"

"I can if you wish that to be. The time to release me is up to you, but you will be without both of us at some point in your matriarch years."

She pinched her brow markings as she pulled at her lip, "And how long do you have left after you're released?"

"Three to four centuries maybe..."

She sighed then said, "How long will Shepard live until?"

"2500 to 2650 somewhere in that area."

"I'll be around 500 when he dies. So, it's possible to live my older years with you and not be alone?"

"If that's how you want it to be, yes."

"I'd lose you near the end, but I could manage... I think."

"Liara these choices are yours to make. You have time to think about it."

She nodded as she walked back at the pod then leaned down and kissed it "I love you. I'm sorry you felt as you did for years and I do wish you would have come to me. I know I can be stubborn, but I would have listened. I'll see you when you return." She said then turned and walked out of Quadrant A.

Shepard looked at his wife storm across the main room then said (You ok?)

(No, but it is what it is...) "What if something happens and I need your input?"

Miranda's hologram appeared "Liara, with your smarts and the smarts of all your children, you will find an answer."

"What if it's something only you would know?"

"Then I may provide you an answer here and if not then I guess you're shit out of luck."

Gwyn laughed, "Wow, I love this coding."

Liara whipped her head toward her daughter, "You hush." She glared at the hologram

"Ok, what if something happens to Mili then what?"

"Then the access falls to your children from Anna down to the youngest. Liara, you are the last person on my list."

Liara threw her hands in the air "Well, what the fuck? I thought we were best friends. How come I don't have first priority access?"

"Liara, you are emotionally unstable, and you would not follow protocol. You are the executor of my will though, and I have provided you with everything once this occurred. You'll be receiving a call from my lawyer and Mili has a copy of everything you should receive and what needs to happen."

"I knew about the executor of your Will because you told me that years ago and I'm not emotionally unstable!" She said as she looked at several people who give a slight side head nod. She huffed as she rolled her eyes, then said, "Whatever..." She looked around the facility then saw Quadrant C "What's in Quadrant C?"

"Various items."

"You didn't say it was restricted."

"That's because it's not." replied the hologram

Liara turned and walked through the large door of Quadrant C. The moment she entered her mouth dropped open at everything that was in there "Holy shit Miranda how come you never said anything about all of this?"

"Liara, I wanted to, but then I would have had to reveal this facility, but now you know."

Everyone else walked through and looked at rows and rows of items. Then Liara said, "What is all this stuff?"

"Various items ranging from weapons, gear, medical instruments, technology, gold bars, and many other things. Feel free to take a look around but please be careful as there are dangerous items in here."

Gwyn quickly spoke, "Are we allowed to take items from Quadrant C?"

"Yes, anything in Quadrant C that is useful you may take and use. Please be careful as some items may be extremely dangerous."

Gwyn scanned the area with her modified omni tool then walked over to one portion of the room and up to a small metal container. She unclasped the latches then gasped, "Miranda, how long have you had these crystals?"

"Gwyn, I'm not sure what you are referring to, but I would bet there is a log of them in the database."

Liara walked up behind her "Goddess, these are like the ones Nezzie found."

"Yes, they are. These look slightly different though. I've already recreated the ones she found and attempted the tech in various ways. In the next few years, these crystals will be in tech and out in the stores."

"That is excellent news." Replied her mother

Gwyn turned and scanned another part of the area then walked over to several large containers. She placed her hand on the boxes "These boxes are unidentified Elements."

Liara pinched her brow markings "Wait, did you say unidentified elements?"

"Yes..." she looked at the hologram "Do you know of these elements?"

"Unfortunately I do not. TIM's various crew members were always out attempting to find the latest and greatest. If these items are here, then they are of some importance, and I'm sure it'll be in the database as will everything else in Quadrant C."

Gwyn turned to her mother, "Mom, this could be huge! A new Element!"

Liara smiled "Ok ok calm down. Take one container but be careful with it and have Lena wear all the correct protective gear when she researches it."

Gwyn squealed and continued to walk through the quadrant.

Liara turned when she heard a weapon go off then heard her husband yell in excitement "Oooooh I'm so taking this!"

Liara rolled her eyes and ran over to him "What are you doing shooting that in here!" Then her eyes flashed when she saw a green beam discharge from the weapon and spread throughout Mili's body. "Shepard!"

Mili grunted then went down on a knee, "Ooowww fuck that stung!"

He laughed then said, "You know what that's for!"

Mili groaned as she stood slowly, "Yep…"

Benezia hurried over to her as she helped her up "Emmie, are you ok?" she saw her nod then looked at her father, "Dad..."

He snickered, "What?"

Liara rolled her eyes "Seriously… that could have been a dangerous gun and hurt her."

"But it wasn't but here look at this." he showed her the handgun "Looks like a regular weapon, but it's not! It's a stun gun." He flipped it over to show her the butt of the gun "This is illuminated green, and that's what caught my eye." He tilted it to the side "Look at this, different variance levels. This could be perfect for training, the Academy, or just to subdue."

Gwyn walked over to her, dad, "Can I take a look?" He nodded, then handed her the gun. She ejected the clip and smiled when she saw one 9mm caliber sized crystal "This is a particle weapon with the use of crystal technology."

"Ahh, kind of like the Collector weapons and the prothean particle rifle. Their weapons were energy weapons, and I grew fond of the particle rifle, but you had to wait for it to recharge, and it was heavy as hell.

"This particular one seems to be non-lethal at this setting but could be at the highest setting."

Shepard leaned in as did Liara, "How does this particular crystal tech work?"

Gwyn shook her head "I'm not sure, but I'd love to take this back and replicate it if at all possible."

Shepard patted her shoulder, "Yes if you do, I want one in every type of weapon that we use at the Academy to test out." He said then walked over to another weapon that was near where he found that one. He ran his fingers over the massive magnum hand canon revolver. He grabbed it, then said, "Damn, look at this fucker!" The round dome part of the bullet type chamber was luminescent and currently orange. He tilted it to the side, and he saw three variance levels and four small circular power cell indicators with only two of the four lit. "Hmm." He tapped the button, and the illuminated color changed from orange to green. He hit it again, and it changed from green to red, and he tapped it again, and it changed from red back to orange. "Hmm..." he pointed it to two sets of four stacked empty crates then pulled the trigger. His eyes grew large when he blasted a large hole clean through them "Fuuuuuuuck!"

Liara yelled, "What the hell are you doing? Stop shooting in here!"

He turned his head to her slowly "Sorry!" he clenched the gun to his chest "I'll call dibs on this!"

Liara shook her head "You all are like children in a candy store!"

Gwyn and Mili ran over to him, then Gwyn said, "Let me take a look." He handed it to her, and she immediately said, "You know I thought this was going to be heavy, but it's unusually light."

Shepard smiled "I know right. Me too!"

She ejected the cylindrical clip. "Wow, this one is different than the other one. Similar crystal tech but from what I can see this one has a large red crystal in the middle then two smaller ones." She popped the cylinder back in the weapon then turned it to the side and looked at the variance levels "Unlike the other one where you hit one button, and the stun level goes up there are three separate buttons here, and these have different colors. The colors indicating the different firing capability. Orange being a blast and green I'm assuming is like the other being stun. Red… is probably kill or something else maybe. I'm taking a wild guess here but the other one you can just shoot until your heart desires because stun doesn't take as much energy, but this one does." She pointed to the power cell indicator "See this here. This is showing only two of the four energy cells left for this weapon. Due to the massive amounts of energy this consumes, this gun will eventually run out of ammo…err energy." She ejected the power cell again then looked it over and saw two tiny metal contacts and three tiny bolts in order to disassemble the power cell cartridge "It seems this can be charged or the crystals can be replaced."

"How?" asked Shepard

"No idea…" she said then handed the gun back to him. She looked around, "Mom?" She turned when she heard her mother at a distance. "Where are you?"

Liara said, "Several rows down looking at something." She paused then said, "Actually, Nez, Gwyn come over here."

Gwyn and Benezia quickly made their way over to her, "Whatcha got?"

She held up a device, "Look familiar?"

Benezia mouth dropped open "That's... the device I found."

"Yes, but this is in worse shape... all the innards are missing, but the exterior is not as corroded. There's wording on here—" said Gwyn

"Ooh let me see." Liara said as Gwyn handed it back to her." She quickly dusted the dirty object, "It says Annulets that bind us together."

"What's that mean?" Asked Gwyn

She shook her head "I'm not sure... it could mean anything. Wedding rings bind two people together. Bond bracelets bind two people together."

Benezia looked at the device "This is circular, but how does this bind to someone else?"

Liara shook her head, "Who knows..."

"Mom, take a look at this..." said Gwyn as she picked up what looked like hand jewelry." It was metal and slipped over two middle fingers, three circular jewel type buttons were on the top of the hand and one on the palm and the remaining device wrapped around the wrist. She began to slip her hand inside of it, but her mother grabbed her.

"Stop!" her mother said quickly. She took a breath then looked at Shay "Care to be a guinea pig?"

"Not really, but I will." Replied Shandri. She took the hand device and slipped it on her hand "Ok, now what?"

"Umm tap one of those on the top." Said Gwyn

"She touched the big one, and it didn't do anything." She looked at it then saw a tiny button "There's another button on here" she said as she tapped it then the unit powered on. "Oh shit. Ok, I guess it's on."

Gwyn grabbed her hand and looked at the unit "Large one is a light bluish color, and this one is yellow and purple. Strange."

Shandri touched the blue one, and it didn't do anything. "Doesn't work..."

"Ok.. wait hold on." She looked at the wrist part coiled around her hand then she looked at the tiny dots down its back. "Hmm..." she wrapped her hand around it and squeezed, and the moment she did Shandri grunted "Shit!"

Liara's eyes widened, "What's happening?"

Shandri grabbed at it with her hand, "It clamped into my hand and wrist." She looked at her hand when she saw dark streaks leak out from the device within her scales then disappear "What the fuck?" She grunted, "Damn it, this burns..."

Liara quickly said, "Take it off!"

She frantically pulled at it "I don't know how!" Her hand hit the yellow button as she pulled at it, and a yellow body length shield came out.

Liara mouth dropped open, "By the goddess!"

Shandri jerked back "Holy shit this looks like Nezzie's."

"Yea it does. Try a different one!" said Liara

She hit the blue button, and nothing happened. "Blue didn't do anything."

"Try aiming it on something and make a hand motion." Said Gwyn

"Ok..." she looked at a stack of crates, closed her hand then opened it, and a pulse came flying out."

"Oh my god! That harnesses biotic power! Unbelievable!" Said Gwyn

"How?" Asked Shandri

Gwyn shrugged "I'm not sure, but this is dangerous. This could give everyone biotic powers."

Liara nodded, "It could but let's take it and see if we can find out how this was made."

Shepard walked around the corner with his newly acquired stun gun "Shay! Show me how that works but don't use your power use that thing."

She grimaced as she looked at him, then dug her feet into the floor as she squared her shoulders, "Ok, ready."

He rose the variance level two clicks "Alright, on my mark. Ready and mark." He said, then shot at her. Her hand lifted, and the yellow shield appeared, and she smiled when the discharge absorbed into it. "Wow..."

He pulled his regular weapon, "Let's test this..."

"Umm Sir.. I—"

"Oh come in Shay, I'll shoot your leg."

Liara looked at her first then at her husband, "I don't know..."

"Ok, put up the shield directly center, and I'll shoot between your legs."

Shay nodded as she activated the shield, "Ok fire."

He discharged two shots, and the shield repelled the bullets then he laughed "Personal shield... neat, but we have Kinetic barriers for that."

"True, but whoever made this has harnessed biotic power. A Kinetic barrier is something that is constantly on then depleted. This comes out when selected, so there are some flaws there. It can be a back up once the Kinetic barrier is gone for someone that doesn't have barriers such as us."

Benezia stood there, and a long spear grew in her red hand "Kinetic barriers can't stop this. It punches right through." She gave a head nod, "Can that?"

Shandri swallowed hard "I have no idea. I doubt it."

"Put it up, and I'll aim at the same place dad did." Said Benezia

Shandri let out a breath and mumbled "Fuck..." she activated the shield "Ok..." and before she even finished kay she flinched when the spear pierced clean through the shield then disappeared. "Shit! You didn't even—"

Benezia laughed, "I know, but I wouldn't have hit you. That proves it's no better than a Kinetic barrier or regular asari barriers. I've tested my biotic weapons time and again at the Armax. The only thing that can block this is a golden lineage shield."

Gwyn arched her brow markings as she rubbed her chin "So, this is just harnessed biotic power being manipulated. She touched Shay's hand "This eye on the palm is were everything expels. So, somewhere on this device is a brain that tells it what it can do."

"Yea but how? How does it know what to do and when?" Asked Liara

She shrugged slightly "I don't know, but it leaked something into her hand... what that was I don't know. We need to get her scanned and checked out."

Liara nodded, "Yes..."

Gwyn continued to look at her hand "Whatever that stuff is it's contained around the unit. Look at the color difference. Hmmm, I wonder if it removes it when you take it off."

"Hmm... hopefully. How do we get it off?" asked Shay

"It's probably as simple as powering it down." She pointed to the purplish button, "What's this one do?"

"I'm not sure. Umm, let's find out." She said as she hit the button then looked around when nothing happened. "Hmm... Nothing."

"I'm sure it does something." Replied Gwyn. She looked at the other device on the shelf "Maybe it works with this or something else." She pointed back to her hand, "Power it down and see if it unhooks itself from you."

She nodded then pushed the tiny button then grunted from the pain in her hand "Ughhh shit that hurts." They watched as her hand color returned and the unit unclamped from

Her wrist. She immediately took it off and rubbed her wrist and hand. "Damn..."

"You ok?" She said as she took the unit from her, "I don't think they removed these very often."

"Probably not." Replied Gwyn

"Ok, let's grab what we're taking. Also, get the tag number so we can look these up in the computer database." Said Liara

As they walked away, Shepard pulled out his new stun gun and shot Mili in the ass.

Liara turned and yelled, "Damn it! Stop shooting in here!"

Mili grunted as her body tensed then fell to the floor.

"Dad! Stop it!" Benezia yelled, then knelt down by her side. "Babe, are you ok?"

She grunted, "Fuuuuck that hurt worse than the first one!"

Shepard laughed as he looked at the gun "I forgot I turned it up."

Liara shook her head "Do you need medical attention?"

"No...I don't think so." replied Mili

Shepard smiled then said, "Well, that first one was for fucking my daughter in my house. The second was thinking you could hide it from us. I owed her those two."

Mili pinched her brow markings as she looked at her bondmate then over at Shepard, "I'm sorry."

Shepard looked at the gun and turned it up all the way then shot her again. "Yep…"

Benezia yelled when her bondmate went limp, "Dad! What the fuck?"

He snickered, "Sorry, I wanted to see what it would do. Apparently, it completely takes them out because she went out like a light."

Liara slapped his arm, "Stop shooting her! Who knows what that can do to someone."

Shay shook her head then hit her com unit "Zen, we need medical attention for Mili. Shep shot her several times with a stun gun and is currently unconscious."

"Copy that." replied Zen

Gwyn looked at Mili with wide eyes then at her dad, "Goodness Dad, are you going to do that to Lena?"

He smiled, "Maybe."

Liara looked at him "No, you will not and you shouldn't have done that to her!"

An evil smile crept across his face then he quickly turned and shot at his daughter Benezia, but she was too fast for him. His quick movements caught her eye, and her barrier went up as quick as he lifted the gun and pulled the trigger.

She glared at him, "Dad... I'm becoming irritated."

"Oh, yea?" He held up the large magnum, "Block this one."

Liara's eyes flashed, "You will not shoot that at her!"

Benezia stood as her body blazed in red, and a spear grew in her hand "You block this one."

Liara looked at both of them as she stood between "That's enough! You're not shooting that, and you're not throwing that! Period!" She poked her husband in his chest, "Knock it off!"

He rubbed her chest as he smiled, "So, protective momma." He said then slapped her butt. He looked at his daughter "As for you. You're just like your mother and you're extremely protective of Mili."

Her aura dissipated, "I suppose and yes I am. So, please stop and how dare you shoot at me."

He laughed, "Oh, come on. I knew you'd block it. Hell, I shot Anna in the ass once."

Benezia smiled, "I know I remember." She said as she walked over to her dad, "That gun is pretty neat let me see that."

He handed her the stun gun "It is, here che—"

The moment he placed the gun in her hand, she shot him with it. His body went limp then fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Liara's eyes flashed as she felt a pain in her gut "Damn it, Nez. Why would you do that?" She said as she knelt down quickly and caressed his face, "Lovie?"

"Now, we're even." said Benezia as she dropped the stun gun next to her father then turned and walked back to her unconscious bondmate.

Gwyn's mouth dropped open, "Nezzie... I can't believe you shot dad." She huffed when her sister just shrugged and replied, "Yea, and?" Gwyn looked at her mother who just shook her head.

Lindanux's brow markings shot up as she murmured "Damn..."

The commandos looked at each other and nodded then Kirre whispered, "She didn't care of the possible consequence, and she did it anyway. If that was us Liara would have done something."

Lin mumbled, "Yea, because she knows she's more powerful than her mother and Liara can't do a damn thing about it."

Shay looked at her then shook her head, "Don't repeat that."

—/


	2. A Mishap

Shepard Stories III

**Ch 2: A Mishap**

**Earth - 2285CE**

Gwyn was sitting at the large console in the middle of the facility and was typing away at the keyboard. As she typed, she heard the click-clacking of shoes echoing through the building as her mother's commandos walked throughout the facility. Click click click click… was the noise she heard as she type but it wasn't just the shoes or the Zzz noise coming from the machines that were drilling holes in the walls to install the cameras but also her fingers as she punched every key. She stopped as she looked around the large facility, "Ugh I can't work with all this noise, it's distracting and I can barely think. Why is everything so loud?" She mumbled then jumped slightly when the Miranda hologram appeared.

"Did you have a question?" asked the Hologram

She grunted, "No, not one that you can compute because I'm highly certain it's not in your command code." She tapped at her keyboard, then said, "Now, go away. I don't need you in my ear."

"Just ask—" the hologram managed to get out before Gwyn turned off her programming.

"Shoosh," she said as she chuckled when the hologram dissipated. She smiled as she looked at her hands and said, "You are at my command, and I command you to do as I say muahahaha." She laughed at herself as she continued to type away at the keyboard then paused as her eyes came across something strange. She pinched her brow markings as she leaned into the console, "What is this?" She immediately glanced over at Quadrant B then over at her mother then at Quadrant A "She didn't." As she scrolled through the data, she shook her head, "She did! What else has she done?"

She glanced over at her mother, who was finishing up her conversation with her first hand. "Just get it done! Then get with Gwyn to make sure everything is working accordingly."

Gwyn mumbled "She is so demanding at times. Ugh…the noise" She rubbed her face as she listened to the click-clack click-clack click-clack as it got louder. She quickly tapped at her keyboard to clear her screen of the current information. When she looked up, her mother was standing at the back of the large console.

Liara leaned on the high back of the console where it formed a small ledge at the top. "Hey…"

Gwyn smiled, "I thought you were heading out?"

"And get locked out, No thank you. Everyone that left can't get back in."

"Ahh because Mili was taken out of the facility."

"Exactly…"

Gwyn nodded, "I can reroute that access if you like."

Liara arched her brow markings, "You can do that?"

She chuckled, "Of course I can. Would you also like priority access?"

Liara glanced over at Quadrant A "I would, that way I can do what I need to do without having to bother Mili."

She glanced up at her mother, "Are you sure? Miranda has these fail-safes in here for a reason."

"I know that…just replace Mili with me and keep all other necessary fail-safes."

Gwyn took a breath, "Ok, I'll make the change." She glanced over at Quadrant B then back at the console and tapped and swiped at the computer. "I'll make a few changes, and when I'm finished, you should be able to access the facility without Mili."

Liara smiled, "Great." She looked around at the facility then back at her daughter "So, what's your analysis of this place. What else can be done?"

Gwyn smiled "How'd I know you were going to ask that?" she said as she continued to type away at the keyboard.

She gave a quick laugh, "Am I that predictable?"

Gwyn chuckled "At times mother but not always."

She huffed as she placed her hands on her hips "I am not predictable."

She smiled at her mother's slight irritation then she said: "Well, people that don't know you would say that, but I know how you are."

She grunted then replied, "I suppose."

Gwyn smirked when she looked up from the console at her "Well, I would have known you would apply security measures to this facility as would anyone of your daughters or dad because we know you. Your top three commandos would have also known."

She rolled her eyes, "Who wouldn't?"

"I know…but… anyway." She pointed to the console "I have to say Miranda is good. I mean I would have never guessed she had the knowledge to do what she's done here."

Liara smiled "She is extremely knowledgeable. The things that she's able to do is simply amazing, and I would have never thought of some of the things she's capable of. For example, her knowledge of the medical field, unbelievable."

"Medical I've seen her in action as well as weapons, self-defense, biotics… but programming no." She pointed to the console again "What she's done here is some high-level programming. This…. No way I would have never guessed. Tali yes, Kasumi no brainer, but her no."

"So, can you not bypass it?"

Gwyn laughed, "Please… she's good, but I'm extensively better than she is. I understand why she wouldn't want Tali, Kasumi or EDI in here because they would have bypassed the system. She had to have known I could bypass her system if I really wanted to but like she said I'm part of her list of people. What it really comes down to is do we follow her wishes?"

Liara nodded. "So, you can bypass it."

She gave her mother a lopsided grin "Yes, I can bypass it. She has a ton of tampering restrictions in place, and it'll take me a while to bypass them all, but it can be done. If you really want her out, then I can make that happen."

She tapped her fingers on the counter. "Hmmm…. I'll think about it." She looked at Quadrant B, "Why is Quadrant B so secretive. What's in there?"

Gwyn paused for a brief moment as she quickly contemplated whether or not to tell her mother. "I'm not sure. I haven't ummmmm gotten to that part yet," she said as she rubbed the side of her temple then looked away.

She stared at her daughter, "Gwynne, you're a terrible liar."

She closed her eyes briefly as she took a breath, "Mother, I wish to not say at this point in time, and I think it's probably for the best."

Liara cocked a brow marking as she crossed her arms "Hmmm… I see. So, whatever is in there apparently has to deal with me. Something that involves my future because it doesn't need to be unveiled now but possibly later. Am I right?"

She rubbed the back of her neck "Yes, for the most part." She rubbed her hands together and mumbled: "Quite disturbing actually."

Liara pinched her brow markings "Hmmm..."

Before her mother could continue on about what was in Quadrant B Gwyn said, "How's dad doing?"

"Oh ummm the last report in from Kirre was that he was still out as is Mili. It's been two hours... I'm starting to get nervous."

"They'll be fine. All the scans came back normal. The jolt of energy shut their entire system down. Almost like a defib unit but not as strong to shut the heart down just everything else. Great for subduing but not for the Academy at that high of a level. I would be cautious using that at the Academy, and if you do, then the max level should be half that. We also need to be extremely careful with these weapons. Once these get out, they'll get replicated."

"I know. Our galaxy's militaries will be the first to want them."

"Yea and along with every mercenary group out there. You know with these being on campus they'll be taken. I can guarantee you that."

"Hmmm... True."

Gwyn pointed to the larger weapon and the hand device "These are also problems. Anything with this new crystal tech will be an issue. Well not so much for normal people but unfortunately there's not just normal people in the world.

"I know sweetie. There's always someone wanting to do bad or trying to get the upper hand."

Gwyn took a breath as she nodded, "Mom... about these nanites."

"What about them?"

"Auntie Katie showed them to me decades ago, and I've seen how they work. Every batch is different, and they can't seem to stabilize them in the way that they want them to be. When I looked at them with her years ago, she asked me if I had a possible solution. At the time, I told her probably not, but I've continued to look into them, time and again throughout the years."

Liara arched a brow, "You found a solution?"

She gave a small side nod and tapped at her omni tool as she brought up her info on nanites "Nanites are just microscopic robots. These robots build and manipulate at an atomic level. Nanotechnology is the science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers. Essentially, its manipulating and controlling materials at the atomic and molecular level…"

Liara furrowed her brow markings as she looked at her daughter's omni screen. "Gwyn…"

She glanced over at her mother as she pinched at her screen to remove it. "Right, ok ummm… their main goal within the body is to find the issue and repair, but as they repair, they enhance. The problem isn't the nanite per se because it's doing the job it was programmed to do. I think the problem is the initial coding before production." She rose a finger "Also a problem because if anyone was able to hack them and modify them or was able to build a manipulation device. Pffft… who knows what could happen."

Liara's eyes widen "Oh my god...can they be recoded after they're applied?"

Gwyn ran her hand over her mouth, "I know disastrous, but the coding for these are encrypted and pretty damn well at that. I don't believe they have transmitters to be able to recode after they've been applied. Well, not in the vial she gave me." She tapped at her omni tool. "I think hacking and manipulation possibility is why they don't have transmitters." She tapped at her lips for a moment "If these were encoded with fail-safes…"

"Fail safes? Can't those just be bypassed like you're doing now?"

"Well, that's the problem with any type of machine it can be recoded regardless of the fail-safes and encryptions. There will always be that possibility."

Liara nodded, "There's no way around it?"

"No. The ones that aunt Katie's lab was working on were for military purposes. They were producing these to create super soldiers. That's why these nanites provide enhancements and being that these were for soldiers are probably why they don't have transmitters. If we could dumb them up, maybe they could be distributed."

"Dumb them up? How do you mean?"

"Ok, let's say I want them to work for medical purposes only not to enhance."

"Oh ok, I gotcha."

She snapped her fingers "If we could shut them down maybe or even possibly to use and remove or put a shelf life on them."

Liara shook her head, "Yea but…"

"I know these particular ones replicate and spread like a virus. How that is possible is beyond me unless that's how they were designed. I think it has something to do with the environment because they don't replicate on a test screen or in a vial, but the moment they enter a body they begin to replicate. I think it has a lot to do with our bodies not being perfect. So, if you give someone twenty nanites to repair one thing, but it shows you have a million things wrong with you then it tells itself we need more help then it replicates. It's as if they just build more of themselves with half of the nanites while the others go to work."

"How, though?"

"My thoughts are we consume minerals every day, such as iron. They take these minerals and other microscopic items within our bodies and build new ones. I believe the first day you receive these nanites, the host, the body, the person becomes ill as they replicate because it's consuming in order to create then they repair. So, ten nanites become ten thousand or however many the need to make."

"Hmmm… I didn't think of it that way but now that you say that. Miranda was somewhat under the weather the day after she received hers. When she was pregnant with Cameron, there were "issues" in the beginning. She thought it was just morning sickness, but she said it felt different."

"They were probably "confused" she felt ill from the pregnancy, but she wasn't actually sick. They probably attempted to fix the issue or fix the embryo. Her being human and a woman her nanites are constantly working. Every shedding of a uterus she bleeds them out. They attempt to fix a problem that cannot be fixed because it's part of her cycle. The fluctuation of her hormones during that cycle is just part of that, and her nanites try to fix the fluctuation."

"Hmm… I didn't think about that either."

"I get how auntie Katie says these are different per gender per species. Everyone is different, that's what makes us, well us. There is a magnitude of medical benefits these could provide, and I understand why they want them available to use and why they continue to work on these. You know, I say it's a coding issue, but maybe it's not. I'm going to assume they've thought of that as they've been working on this for decades. I can't assume that it's that simple or maybe it is. As I mentioned earlier, shelf life. Did they encode a shelf life and even if they did, would it matter?"

"Shelf life?"

"Yes, will these nanites eventually power down? Did they encode that into the programming? We don't know. Will they work until the host is no longer? But these particular ones have been transferred to other hosts. Something auntie Katie didn't think about. All the people that have these nanites, how many have bled on to someone else? How many have been genetically transferred?"

Liara nodded "So, regardless they're being distributed biotically?"

"Yes, by blood transfer, through babies, and possibly by semen. Who knows…"

Liara paused, "By semen?"

"Yes, if a male has nanites, they are in every part of the body. So, if a male releases inside you, then those sperms are within you for several days until they perish. Do they have nanites? Maybe, maybe not. They are to be treated like a virus. Even if you sneeze, they could possibly be transferred."

She blinked hard as her mouth dropped open "Does that mean…"

"That you have them? I'm going to say no because Dr. Caliix or Zen would have told you by now."

"So, then they only transfer by blood exposure?"

"The ones that dad has, yes but who knows about the others. You see they continue to modify them with every batch to see if they will do want they want. They continue to be unpredictable to their specifications. They know they work but just not within their parameters."

"Have you tested your theory?"

"Not yet as I've been busy with other projects." She paused, "See these nanites we see them as a good thing. To fix and improve, but what about the bad?"

"What would the bad be?"

"Our species currently play nice with each, but we didn't use to. If someone took these and made them into a biomolecular weapon."

Liara gasped "Goddess, they could kill everyone."

"Exactly, all they have to do is change the coding to kill instead of repair. You inject someone with that "Virus" it'll spread and do its job until the host is dead."

"Do you think Katie and her lab mates are purposely finding things wrong with these nanites to not release them?"

She shrugged, "Who knows, maybe. After decades of working on these, they should have found a solution by now in order to distribute them. Maybe they work fine but want to have the backup of removing them or shutting them down just in case someone creates evil nanites."

Liara ran her hands over her crest "Goodness, let's just hope something as vicious as biomolecular warfare never happens."

"Let's hope that someone or some race isn't that evil because it doesn't have to be evil nanites but just some malicious serum in a vial."

"Malicious serum?"

She smirked, "Yes, if we can grow people from DNA and genetically modified DNA, then we can construct a serum to manipulate DNA. When we do modify it's to remove abnormalities or enhance, but we can also do the opposite."

Liara shook her head "Why would anyone want to do the opposite?"

"There's someone out there I'm sure, and all it takes is an injection to make that happen."

"Goddess…"

"So many things can be done nowadays, and the more I think about it. Like, …deep thinking, I get why the reapers felt that they had to do what they did."

"No, don't you dare say that! You weren't there as they captured people and liquified them and then fed on it. You weren't there when they annihilated planets. I saw Thessia burn, and hundreds of our people die. Thousands of people were killed because one species thought that they could control us. What we do is what we will do to grow and to learn. Whether that tech leads to our demise then so be it, but they had no right to just kill us. The Reapers entire process was hypocritical using tech to kill us to prevent us from producing advanced tech that would eventually turn on us." She paused as she thought about the Collectors and the Banshees "Using a malicious serum to transform us into monsters. We asari were transformed into these hideous Banshees."

Gwyn looked down "I'm sorry… I didn't mean—"

"No, it's fine. It's just…it was a terrible time. We should never think that we have control of someone or something because eventually, it's going to bite you in the ass. We should always treat someone with respect; whether it's a person or a machine such as EDI because you never know. A.I.'s learn and process that information, just like a person would. See the Leviathans thought they could rule this galaxy and they couldn't. They tried, but in the end, they failed. They wanted us to do what they wanted, and we did. Being the intelligent people, we are, we created machines to help us with the tasks that they gave us. The unknown is always within reach, and that's what we're always seeking. What happens if? The Leviathans watched as we built synthetic machines that eventually turned on us." She smirked, "So, what do they do? They create their own A.I. and encode it to ensure the continued existence of life in the galaxy by any means necessary."

Gwyn shook her head "Therefore the A.I turned on it's on creators to preserve life by any means necessary."

"Exactly because nobody in this universe is perfect and therefore we make mistakes."

"This is why we can have V.I's, but they don't want anyone creating A.I's."

Liara nodded "That's one reason why but the other being the Geth."

"They also turned on their creators." replied her daughter.

"Well, yes but not intentionally, meaning they didn't just turn evil. They became sentient due to the fact that they are A.I's they learn from their surroundings. After a time, they began to question their masters. The masters didn't like that, so in return, they tried to eliminate them."

"And by doing so, it turned into a war."

"Yes. The Geth are much different than EDI. All the Geth are like one giant splice of EDI. They are one machine in several bodies. You take one Geth away from the group, and it only has minor functions such as animal instinct, but when they're in a large group, then they're high functioning. The only Geth that was somewhat autonomous was Legion until his unit died, but he was also connected to the main Geth brain. Now EDI, on the other hand, is just EDI one autonomous unit with her "brain" being housed in Sierra Bravo."

Gwyn nodded "I know, I'm just saying I understand why the Reapers thought they had to do what they did. It wasn't right by any means but I get it." She paused, then said, "Back to shelf life…"

"What about it?"

"Our shelf life is long due to our way of living, our internal molecular system, biotics, etc. Krogans are different but live longer. Why? Salarians and Vorcha their lives are minimal. Why? Quarians, humans, Turians, Batarians, etc. roughly the same life span. Why is that?"

Liara smiled "You sound like Riley. All those questions and why she became a doctor and studied intergalactic biology. She needed to know."

"I know she did, and her field of medicine is vast. She is trying to improve the current synthetic organs that we use. Our mentality is why fix it if it's not broke." She laughed, "But not Ry. She has always been what can be done to make it better. She is trying to extend their life span."

Liara smiled "I know, and I'm very proud of her. I'm proud of all of you. One day she will be part of that discovery or process."

She nodded, "Did you know that we have the technology to make species in a lab?" She said as she glanced over at Quadrant B then continued, "The Batarian race has been slowly rebuilding over the decades. The Drell another species that was on the verge of extinction. We have the technology; it costs a massive amount of credits, but it's there."

She pinched her brow markings "How did they increase their population when there were only a few hundred left?"

Gwyn looked around then leaned in "Well, from… ummm unknown sources they have several banks of peoples blood."

Liara jerked her head back, "What?"

She smirked, "Yep, every time someone goes to the doctor, and they take a small blood sample it's sent to one of these banks."

Her mouth dropped open, then she said, "You're messing with me."

Gwyn shook her head "No, I'm dead serious. With these blood banks, they took several random Drell vials and created new Drell so that there wasn't a ridiculous amount of incest."

"Interesting… I was wondering how more of them were popping up."

She shook her head "As if we should have that right."

Liara looked down, "We shouldn't, but we do. Two of your aunt's being one of those lab experiments. Grunt being another one. You know a geth once asked Tali, "Does this unit have a soul?" I look at that situation, and the only difference is one has flesh and blood, and the other doesn't. Back then, they were treated as just machines, but now they're treated as a person."

"Exactly the question, mother. Both created, but yet they're very different. Both have a mind of their own, but one is metal, and one is flesh. One hurts the other does not. One dies, the other gets downloaded back into a system. As long as we have a vile of their blood, that same person can be duplicated, but that person won't be the same as before because it's a brand new "person." They start as a blank slate, and you go from there."

Liara stared off to the side as old memories quickly came to the surface _Dr. T'Soni, Shepard is not dead he's alive. We have the technology to revive him. If his brain is intact, we can bring him back. If it's not, we'll need scans of your brain to gather memories to fill in the holes._

"Mom?"

"Hmmm? Oh… yea blank slate. We don't have the right, but we do it anyway. The tech is there, and we utilize it. It's why our technology is so magnificent and scary all at the same time. We can do wonderful things with it and terrible ones as well."

"I know."

"What's left of these Geth were all remanufactured with upgraded bodies."

"Yes, I know. They all look as EDI does. Well EDI has skin the "Geth" Do not, and they are distinguishable between the flesh and blood."

"I know they didn't make them look like humans but more like Quarians. They have the unusual height of the original geth, and they removed the attached weapons. The rest of their anatomy is similar to the Quarians. EDI is the replication of a human." replied Liara

"Yes, I know. However many geth bodies were left were the only ones that were remade. No extras were reproduced. Same reason as to why the galaxy doesn't want us creating A.I's. V.I's are fine, but A.I always makes us nervous. Something that will never "die" unless someone hacks them and shuts them down. Something that can always out a living person. Meaning they could take over all of our jobs, but we don't allow it."

Liara nodded

"Ok… Oh umm I was meaning to talk to you about auntie Miri and her plan... she thought it through, but she missed a few things."

"How do you mean?"

"Auntie Miri and Auntie Ori are genetically modified. Grown in a lab, right?"

"Mhmm."

"Ok, wouldn't that be passed on to their children?"

Liara just blinked slowly "Ummm yes, I suppose so. Wait, are you saying that her modified genetics were passed on to her children? If that's true then if she comes back at year 2400, they could very well still be alive."

"Yea. That's what she missed in her calculations. Her children are not normal humans with her genetic makeup. Maybe they have watered down versions of her genes, and they'll live longer than a normal human."

Liara pinched her brow markings "Watered-down versions? How do you mean?"

"Well, auntie Miri and auntie Ori are twins made from the same vial of genetic makeup. Grown in a lab from just her father's DNA then genetically modified."

"Correct."

"Well, it's not like there was an egg and he introduced his sperm to it then let it grow in a tube. That process still continues as a cheap version of creating a person today. His method, on the other hand, was some strange Frankensteinish version, right?"

She pinched her brow markings as she chuckled "Frankensteinish?"

Gwyn pumped her hands in front of her as she scrunched her brow markings "Yes, Frankensteinish! Normally they have a handful of options. The egg and sperm, taking DNA from mom and dad and combing and the other options are those same versions but then genetically modifying to remove abnormalities. Each version being more and more costly. Henry, on the other hand, just used his DNA, then modified it. He didn't want abnormalities within his children because he wanted them to be pristine. Come to find out later they both had an abnormality that had to be fixed."

Liara nodded, "Yes, their uterus."

"Right, but why was that? Why would he have that one abnormality? A perfect daughter who struggles to have children."

Liara pinched her brow markings quickly "He didn't want them to."

"Precisely because his original modified genes would be watered down with someone else's. Here's another thought. Why daughters? Why not boys?"

She ran her hand over her mouth as she thought, "Because his genes would be watered down with someone else's."

Gwyn smiled, "Precisely. See my thought is sterilization was a definite abnormality, and he didn't want that to be visible. See her eggs worked just fine but with a troubled uterus then you can't house a baby. He didn't see that as an issue."

"Because his child had to be perfect. Miranda didn't even find out until later and after seeing two doctors about it."

Gwyn nodded then clamped her hands together "So if we take her enhanced genes and mesh them with uncle Alex."

"Our watered-down version."

"Correct. Who knows how long they will live? Definitely beyond a normal human. Human life is constantly being extended with medical procedures, synthetic organs, synthetic limbs, medicine, etc. If we apply nanites to them, they could very well outlive her." She shook her head "She should have talked to you about this. The cryo pod should have been the last option."

Liara let out a sigh, "I know, but in her mind, it was the thing to do. She also did it for me."

"How do you mean?"

"Daddy's going to perish one day, and my heart is going to shatter, but she'll be here to help me through it."

Gwyn grimaced "Mother, she may be able to mask the pain, but only you can pull yourself from the darkness." She paused as she looked at her mother then looked down "I don't understand your trio. I've never really cared for it, but it's your life, not mine."

She huffed, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

She shrugged, "Not my place."

"Gwynne I care about what you think. You're my daughter, but we're also very close..."

"I know momma, but you are set in your ways. Just because I don't care for it doesn't make it wrong. I'm just not a multiples type of person. If you enjoy it and it works then so be it."

"Are you upset?"

"No, I know you love daddy."

"I do very much, and that will never change."

"I know. Mom...?"

"Yes?"

Gwyn looked around the facility then back at her mother "How do you feel about Bene?"

She grit her teeth slightly "I don't like that she shot your father. Even though it was a stun gun, she did it out of spite."

"Why didn't you do anything." asked Gwyn

She let out a breath as she lowered her head "What was I supposed to do? She's more powerful than I am."

"No mother, you're wrong there. You have the same powers as she does. I've seen you use them, but you have difficulties with them, or you choose not to use them."

Liara huffed as she shook her head "I don't know why I can't consistently maintain them. It's a struggle to bring them forward, and when I have them, I do practice. She makes it look so easy, but it's not. I've seen her practice, and hers just flow."

"She doesn't fight it, you do."

She huffed, "I don't fight it…"

Gwyn gave her a lopsided grin "You doubt yourself, and you try too hard as you attempt to understand it. You research it to learn about it, and you know the back story. You know what these types of existential powers can do to the mindset. Just as Yeyxesa did and her powers consumed her. They made her into who she became. That's the difference, and you don't want the possibility of becoming like her. So, you suppress it, and you deny it. Therefore, it's not there. Without the golden, you already experience that Yeyxesa within you when you become angry. Benezia does the same thing as does Anna. Your anger feeds the hatred until you become blood raged."

Liara let out a breath as she looked away, "I suppose." She looked at her daughter, "Don't you dare say it…"

Gwyn chuckled "What? Oh, you mean the Krogan within us?"

Liara glared at her as she cracked a smile, "You said it…"

She laughed "That part plays such a small factor compared to whatever else lies within us. Us asari may be able to pick and choose our traits but do you really have a choice?"

Liara pinched her brow markings "We've always had the choice to choose the traits we want for our child."

"You say that, but I think you pick what you would like to have. It's not necessarily what you get. For example it's not like you wanted me to have a stutter. You didn't want me to struggle with speaking, but it happened. You didn't want Anna to be the stubborn bitch that she is, but she is."

Liara laughed "Gywn…"

"Oh, please you know Anna is a bitch and hateful at times."

Liara gave a quick side nod "Yes, she can be, but she is extremely protective of her sisters."

She nodded, "I will give you that. She can rag on us all day long but the hell if someone else can."

"I know. She may be a daddy's girl with a tough exterior, but I know how she is. I know how all of you can be." She looked down at the counter for a brief moment as she pinched her brow markings "Benezia on the other hand changed the moment she left that mountain. Life experiences such as that will do that to you. Mili changed the moment she was taken. I've changed drastically, and I never thought I would be where I am today, but I am." She placed her hand on her chest "We are who we always are when we're born. Who we become is our choice as we live our lives. What the universe throws in our path will make or break you. In those moments that you fall, how you decide to get up is the difference."

"I know. I haven't experienced all the trauma you, Benezia or Mili have, and I hope I never do." She looked down, "I hate that she's gone through so much, and she feels that Mili is the only comparable person that would understand."

"I know, and I don't like it either but your sister is strong and a fighter. When you are partially or completely linked to someone, it's easy to feel that way. Your father and I don't have that link as they do, but we have something similar."

Gwyn nodded, "Being who she is. I still think you should have reprimanded her. I'm not saying you had to hurt her but something. Your our mother that's should stand for something."

"I know, but as your father said she tends to do as I do. When I get angry, I just do."

"If she ever got out of control, she could do some serious damage. Her and Mili both could."

"I know sweetie. Let's hope they remain good." She said then hit her aux piece when she heard Kirre.

"Mistress, Mili is awake."

"Thank you." replied Liara

Gwyn lifted her brow markings "News?"

"Yes, Mili is awake."

"Ahh, that means dad won't be much longer. You heading over?"

"Yes, are you?"

"Nah, I'll stay here and get this programming updated."

— **-/**

Mil cracked her eyes open and immediately grabbed her head "Ugh fuck..." she looked around the small med bay then saw Shepard in the bed next to her. She pinched her brow markings then said (Babe?)

(Hey! You're awake. I'm on my way to you now.)

(Did you shoot your dad?)

(Yes, I did. We can talk about it when I get there.)

A few minutes passed, and Benezia walked through the door. She walked up to her bondmate and kissed her, "You ok?"

"Small headache but I'm fine. How many of those nanites do you think it fried?

She gave a small laugh then said: "Let's hope only a couple." She smiled, then said, "I was beginning to get a little worried."

She nodded, "How long was I out?"

"About two and a half hours."

"Damn." She looked around and notice Liara was not in the room and that Shepard was still out "Can we go?"

"They said everything looked fine. So yea we can go."

"Good." She said as she slid to the edge.

"What's wrong?" asked Benezia

"I just want to go." She said as she glanced at Shepard

Benezia smirked, "Do you think I care?"

"Apparently not because you shot him…" She pointed to him, "…and there he is."

She scoffed, "You're upset because I shot my dad? It's not like it hurt him and besides, I did it for you."

"Don't do that. You did it because he pissed you off and to prove a point."

"He was pissing me off because he continued to shoot you and it was unnecessary. He was pissed because we pulled the wool over both their eyes and he's been harboring that shit for years. Not to mention this whole Miranda bullshit."

"Yea but he's your dad."

"I know that! So, that gives him the right to continuously shoot you? Once? Fine, I get it. The second was unnecessary, and the third was crossing the line."

"Do you think you're going to go without consequence?"

Benezia laughed, "Are you for real? What am I ten? Is mom going to spank me? What the fuck, babe? I sure as shit am not one of her commandos and she will not attack me."

Mili shook her head, "You need to come down off your high horse..."

"My high horse? Are you kidding? I'm not—"

"Yes, your high horse. You think you're untouchable because of your biotic powers."

"I do not either..."

Mili stared at her lover, "You're going to honestly stand there and lie to me."

She huffed as she placed her hands on her hips "Well, I wouldn't say I'm untouchable. You're obviously just as comparable."

"Babe..."

"Ok ok maybe I do feel that way at times. I'm sorry. I honestly just don't like the fact that he continued to shoot you and I didn't care about the consequence. I love you, and I don't want you injured. Just to make a point your mother..."

"What about my mother?"

"She would have approved." She said as she crossed her arms.

Milizkia smirked "My mother wouldn't have done anything, to begin with. She would have said I'm glad you fucked her then patted me on my damn back. So, don't go there."

Benezia smiled "I know she would have. She would have been happy I avenged you."

She gave a side nod, "True. Babe, I'm not mad that you avenged me."

She bobbed her finger in the air "Your mother loves me."

Mili laughed, "Mom loves you because she knows you're an excellent match for me and knows you'll watch my back."

"Ahhh ya see. Exactly what I did earlier."

She smirked "Yes, but she also loves the fact that you and I are golden children and one day we'll have little golden babies. Babies that she wants to get her grimy hands on. Mom wants a legacy that will continue on Omega. Right now that legacy is Jes, but in all actuality she wants it to be me. If she can find someone who wants it more than Jes and who's more powerful than Jes, then she'll do that. That person being one of ours because she knows one of them will have that gene. The question is, will she be around long enough to see that happen."

Benezia let out a breath, "That will never happen. Our children will never be mixed up with Omega. I'll say that right now."

"No, but we can't keep them from her because she'll be their grandmother or grandfather. She may be power-hungry and have a rock hard exterior, but she's squishy inside when it comes to her family."

She laughed, "Aria T'Loak squishy? I'm sure she would be appalled by that saying."

"Yes, she would." She smirked, "Ya know she wasn't a terrible mother. She just had other priorities. She never treated me bad, she never hit me, she never yelled at me." She laughed "Well, mom being mom she would cuss and raise her voice, but she knew there had to be a compromise because she wasn't there on a daily basis. Depending on what it was, she normally gave in to what I wanted in order to make me happy." She looked away then back at her lover "She fought tooth and nail to get to where she is, and I get why she doesn't want to let it go. You've seen one side of her, and I've seen most of her. So, just know she's not a terrible person, and I know I make her sound bad at times, but she's not all bad."

Benezia nodded, "I'll keep an open mind, but the moment she tries to do something off the wall with our children…"

She laughed, "I know… and that won't happen." She shook her head, "Could you imagine if I shot my mother?"

"No, and you would never."

"Well, no, kidding. Mom would be raging the moment she woke." She paused then laughed, "No, actually she'd probably say something like What the fuck? Ooooh, you sly ass bitch!"

Benezia laughed, "I love your mom. I like how she fluffs her feathers at people."

"That's a good one. Fluffs her feathers." She laughed "She does all that just so she can maintain her image. I just can't believe you shot your dad."

"Me either..." replied Shepard as he sat up.

Mili and Benezia turned to him then she said, "Dad... I—"

"Stop right there." He said as he held up his finger, "I'm honestly surprised you shot me. I'm not angry, just taken back."

"I—"

He looked at his daughter take a firm stance as she began to speak then he said, "Warned me... I know. I tested you, and you responded. I know what you're capable of. I know you're more powerful than I... than your mother. I'm not going to challenge you, nor would I ever."

"I—"

"I'm not finished. I've told this to your mother many many times, your elder sister, my brother and my very own mother... control your temper, or it will get the better of you."

She huffed, "So you piss me off just to see if I would act? Even after I warned you, you continued."

"And you didn't blink a damn eye."

"Oh, I blinked dad and thought about my actions. Did I give a damn? No, I didn't. Why? Because it was a fucking stun weapon. If you're so ballsy to use it on my bondmate, then I sure as shit can use it on you. Repercussions? From whom? You? Mom? Tell me?"

He smirked as he slid out of bed and stood, "You think just because you're not a little girl anymore that I won't backlash at you?"

"Oh, ok. So let me understand this. You shoot my bondmate not once, not twice but three...three times. Not to mention you shot at me. Did you think I wasn't going to react? You know damn well I was irritated and yet you continued."

"That I did!"

"You tested me, and you knew damn well what I would do. Not to mention that only a year ago she was shot! Am I going to react? Your damn right I will."

"Both of you take a step back and breathe." demanded Liara. She looked at both of them "What's done is done." She looked at her husband and sneered, "I told you to stop shooting that damn weapon in there and yet you continued. Not only did you shoot Mili three times you shot at our daughter. What the hell were you thinking? You had no idea what that weapon was capable of."

He arched a brow "You know why I did it. You knew before I pulled the damn trigger. Don't play good parent here."

She gave him a quick glare, "Shepard… are we going there?"

"Sure, why not Liara. Let it roll…" he said as he flung his hand in the air

"You're upset because I'm overly pissed off that Miranda is gone. You needed someone to take it out on, and that was Mili."

"You're not just pissed off Liara. Your heart is broken. Your secondary lover left you. She didn't include you in her plans and your pissed and your hurt. You had a damn tantrum back there over Miranda. You're contemplating when to bring her back before I die or after that way you can have a life with her. Bet you can't wait until that day comes, huh?"

She scoffed, "Babe, that's not true. I just don't want to be alone, and I'll be crushed when you die. I love you more than Miranda, and I always will."

Benezia smirked, "Goodness mother aren't you just selfish."

Liara stood there for a moment in front of her husband as her hand quickly illuminated blue then she swiftly captured her daughter in a stasis.

Mili quickly looked at her lover then over at Liara. Liara slowly walked up to her daughter "How dare you disrespect me. I am your mother and the head of this house!"

Benezia laughed, "Disrespect? And what do you call what you're doing to me?"

"Do you think what you do goes without consequence?"

"No, I know there are consequences. Mother, I'm ninety years old. I've been out of the house for the last sixty years. I'm bonded. You don't take care of me, and you haven't for decades. I work and make my own money, and Mili takes care of me. Not you. So, don't give me that I take care of your bullshit."

Liara scoffed "Keep running your mouth young lady!"

"Or what? Hmm? Ohh I know you've heard that before. Here let's try this one... what are you going to do? Do you think this basic stasis will hold me?"

Liara glared at her "I made you, you are of my lineage, and I know what you're capable of. Don't you ever underestimate me Benezia? You may think I'm weak, but I'm not. You THINK I don't practice? I do."

Benezia smirked "Oh, I don't think your weak mother. I know just how powerful you can be, and I'm not afraid of you."

"Don't you dare test me. You have before, and I let it slide. I will not fight you, you're my daughter." She said then released her.

"I don't want to fight you. I love you." She looked at her father "I love both of you, and I would never hurt either of you but don't attack me or my bondmate because I will backlash. Just as either of you would."

Shepard took a breath "There's a lot of emotions following through all of us. Let's just take a breather." He looked at Mili "I'm sorry I shot you three times. The last two were unnecessary and—"

"It's fine. I'm fine. No damage was done." Replied Mili. She placed a hand on her lover "It's fine. Ok?"

Benezia nodded, "Dad..."

"I know and only fair that you did it. I'm not mad." He said then looked around, "Where's Gwyn?"

"In the facility, why?" replied Liara

"Still?"

Benezia laughed, "Are you serious? She could be in there for months and not sleep."

Liara laughed, "Very true."

Mili looked at Liara, "What is she doing in there?"

"She's reprogramming the restrictions to give me access."

Mili glanced at her lover (Shit! We need to speak with her.)

(Why? What's in there that you don't want my mother to see?)

(A clone of your dad.)

Benezia's eyes flashed (What? You were serious about that?)

(Yes but I haven't seen it. I need to talk to Gwyn.) she cleared her throat then looked at Liara "She didn't want you to have access…"

"I know that, and she also wasn't thinking clearly." Liara stared at Mili for a moment "I figured this would be bothersome, and you would want me to take this off your hands."

"Well, Miranda came to me in trust to handle this for her, and I told her I would."

She arched a brow marking "You knew about this?" she said then looked at her daughter "Both of you?"

Mili shook her head "The night before she left, she came to me and talked to me. I told her to talk to you about it. I didn't know about her false death. I didn't know about the facility… I knew nothing until the other day." She quickly pointed to Benezia, "She didn't know until I told her that night."

Liara looked at both of them "If she didn't fake her death, then you wouldn't have told me. Would you have?"

She rubbed the back of her neck "I don't know Auntie. I wouldn't have been able to keep it from Nezzie, and I told her that. She still trusted me with it. It would have been a huge weight to see you hurting." She took a deep breath, "I honestly don't know what I would have done."

Liara placed her hands on her hips "Tell me Mili what's in Quadrant B?"

"I told you I don't know."

"Mhmm."

"Why do you want to know so bad?" asked Benezia

"It's obviously something important." Replied her mother

Shepard scrunched his brows as he looked at his wife then daughter then Mili. (What is Miranda hiding?)

(I'm not sure. Gwyn avoided the question too.)

"Probably, but she doesn't want anyone to know, and we should respect that." Said Benezia "We're going to head back over to the facility and look through Quadrant C some more."

Liara nodded, "Ok…" She said then watched them walked out

-/

Gwyn rubbed her eye with the back of her hand then went back to typing at her keyboard. She glanced over when she heard footsteps getting closer. As they approached, she said, "It's good to see you're ok. Not to mention up and about."

Mili smiled "Yea, I'm fine. No damage was done."

"That's good." She paused for a moment, "Is there something you need from me?"

"Actually there is." Replied Milizkia. She looked around then said, "Are you really granting Liara access to everything?"

She scoffed "I'm not stupid Mili…"

"I never said you were."

"No, but you just implied it."

Mili huffed "Gwyn, I know you're a brainiac, ok. I don't care if she has access. It's just—"

Gwyn stopped typing then looked up at her "I already know what's in there."

"You do?"

"Yes, very disturbing if you ask me. We shouldn't have the right to do such things."

"I know, but we do. No one can know about him."

Gwyn looked down "I know…and I don't like keeping things from her."

Benezia nodded, "We know you don't but don't tell her."

"Miranda is hoping that we'll never have to release him." Said Mili

"That's unlikely. Even when Miranda returns. Mom will never cope well with the loss of dad."

Benezia looked at her sister, "You think so?"

"I know so. She might have thrown a tantrum when Miranda left, but it'll be ten times that when dad leaves. Remember when he left for a few hours when he was mad at her?"

Mili and Benezia both gave a lopsided grin "Yes…"

"That was just for a few hours."

Benezia nodded then said, "I know you read all the info on it. What is it?"

Gwyn pinched her brow markings and plainly said: "It's a clone."

"No shit, Sherlock! I mean, what does it all entail?"

"Oh, umm… I haven't read everything because moms been in here. I've just read the overall. I have no idea what it looks like. I'm assuming it looks just like dad."

"Well, uncle Alex was his twin, and he didn't look exactly like him."

She gave a quick nod, "True. His clone won't be exactly like him either."

"How do you mean?" replied Benezia

"There is only one original copy, and anything after that is different. His fingerprints will be different. Any scars he has now won't be on the clone. This clone won't have dads new biotic powers."

Benezia huffed "Bummer… That's one thing dad and I shared."

She nodded, "Yes." She looked around, "How do we make it, dad?"

Mili smiled, "Brain scans and an upload?"

Gwyn smiled "That's available to do? Amazing…"

"According to Miranda, yes."

"So, eventually this is going to involve Ry?" said Gwyn

"If, and when the time comes. Yes. By then, Miranda should be out." Said Mili

"I don't know about that. Mom and I were talking earlier, and she didn't calculate her children living longer than regular humans."

"What's that mean for Miranda?"

"Well, either mom is going to release her now or later than she wanted her to be in there." Said Gwyn

"Oh no, mom not getting what she wants. Oooo." Benezia said then smirked

Gwyn stared at her sister "Why must you do that?"

She rolled her eyes, "Goodness Gwyn I was kidding. Pull your head out of her rear end."

She huffed, "My head is not up mom's butt. I just don't like how you treat her."

Benezia pinched her brow markings "Treat her? Are you kidding me right now? I was joking. Get a grip."

Gwyn stood, "Get a grip? You act like you and Anna haven't always given mom a hard time."

"What the hell are you upset about? I didn't do shit to mom, ok. I shot dad remember not mom. Your so worried about mom that you never worry about what else is going on. Mom's a big girl; she doesn't need your protection. Why don't you sit your ass down."

Gwyn's heart began to beat faster "Wha….why da….don't you just sha..shut up!" I'm…I'm not sca….scared of you."

She arched a brow marking then glanced at Mili then back at her sister "Oh really?"

She swallowed hard, "Yes!"

Benezia blazed red "You're not scared of what I can do to you?"

She glanced at Mili then back at her sister as her heart rate accelerated "No…," she said as her lip began to slightly tremble.

Benezia smiled as her aura diminished "Good lord Gwyn have a seat before you pass out. You have freaked out written all over your face."

She let out a breath as she sat down, "I do not..."

Benezia chuckled "Uh-huh. You only got all ballsy because you know I wouldn't hurt you."

"I don't know about you sometimes." Said Gwyn as she looked down

She crossed her arms as she huffed, "Are you for real? You honestly think I would hurt you?"

Gwyn shrugged "Maybe. You did shoot dad."

She scoffed, "Gwynne, I would never hurt you. Any of you unless…you were trying to intentionally do grave harm to me. Even then, I would have to think about it."

"You didn't think that hard when you shot dad."

"Oh, give me a break. He shot Mili three times! Why does everyone think that's ok? Because dad did it, then it's ok, but when I do it, everyone is fucking ass hurt. Not to mention he attempted to shoot me too. I mean, what the fuck?"

"You still did it."

"It was a damn stun weapon Gwyndolyn!" She let out a breath "Ok, so you're telling me if he did that to Lena then you'd be ok with. Is that right?"

Gwyn pinched her brow markings then looked down. "I suppose… I would be somewhat upset."

"Oh, bullshit! You'd be furious, and you would vent to mom about it." She shook her head, "Doesn't matter anyway because he wouldn't even think about doing that you."

"Why do you say that? Lena went through his rite of passage thing."

Benezia laughed "Her rite was nowhere near what the others went through. She's practically family just like Mili here. Besides, he knew she was like you."

"How do mean? Like me?"

"Gwyn, you're the frailest out of all of us. He treats you differently than us."

"I am not frail. I can defend myself!"

Benezia rolled her eyes "I don't doubt you can sister. You are just sensitive." She looked at her sister, and she knew her mind was beginning to think about what she said. She closed her eyes briefly as she let out a breath "Gwynne, I'm not saying you're weak. Your feelings just get hurt easier than ours. We can take a hit, you can't."

She grit her teeth, "I can too!"

She rose her hands, "Ok, ok. I don't doubt you. Ok? I'm sorry. Forget I said anything, geez."

She huffed, "Yea right…"

"Gwynne…?"

"What?" she replied sharply

She pouted, "I love you…"

Gwyn cracked a smile, "I love you too."

Benezia smiled "Are we good?"

She shrugged, "I guess…"

Benezia walked around the counter, "Come on, Gwyn… My little brainiac sister. I loooove you."

She smirked, "Stop…"

She walked up to her and eased in with a pouty face "Gwynne…"

She gently pushed her sister away. "Ok ok knock it off. I forgive you."

"Please… I'm sooo sorry sister." She looked at her, then turned away and loudly said: "We're supposed to be sisters." She began to fake cry "I'm so hurt that you don't want to be sisters anymore. Oh, the…"

Gwyn rolled her eyes as she shook her head "Enough with the melodramatic episode. We're good. Ok?"

She smiled then turned to her as she laughed, "Great, so, about this clone. Can we take a peek?" said Benezia

Gwyn looked around, "Are you insane? Mom has cameras all over, and her commandos are walking around."

"Yea but the cameras won't work while people are in here remember. I thought you were a tech genius?"

She smirked, "I'm still working on bypassing her restrictions." She pointed to Quadrant B, "Look at that massive door Nezzie. You think people won't notice its open? I mean come on it doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

Mili laughed, "Nice one."

Benezia stared at her lover but didn't say anything. Mili stopped laughing and looked at her, then said, "What?"

"Just open the damn door."

"No, mom will find out about it if we do. Just let me finish doing what mom asked me to do. Mili is still going to be a priority, but I'll splice mom into it. She'll be able to come in here and look through Quadrant C and A whenever she pleases, and that's about it. Releasing Miranda will need Mili's approval, and she'll need me to release her. As for Quadrant B, I'm going to keep her original restrictions. I don't think anyone needs to be in there."

"Really? You're not a tad bit intrigued?" asked Benezia

Gwyn glanced at Quadrant B then back at the console "Ok, maybe a little, but we can't do it while mom is around or her commandos."

"Ok, then later tonight?"

She nodded, "Fine. Let me do what I need to do here, and I'll let you know."

Benezia tapped the counter "Great. Let us know. We're going to take a walk through Quadrant C."

"Oh, if you find anything interesting…"

"I'll let you know." She said then turned and walked away.

Gwyn let out a breath "Yea right…"

"I heard that…"

—/

Liara stood there as she watched her daughter leave then she let out a breath as she placed her hands on her hips.

"She wouldn't have hurt you..." said Shepard

"I know, but if she was angry enough, she just might have. If I would have proceeded instead of releasing her..."

"But you didn't."

"I thought about it."

"I know. You tend to be bullheaded. A trait your daughters seem to have."

Liara gave him a lopsided grin, "My daughters?"

Shepard smirked, "Yep, your daughters."

She arched a brow marking "Oh, so they're just my daughters now huh? Not our daughters."

"Yes, all bad traits belong to you." Replied Shepard

She laughed, "Oh, yea because Shepard's aren't bullheaded. Uh-huh."

He gasped then smiled, "Whaaaaaat? Shepards bullheaded Noooooo."

She threw her head back as she laughed "Well, our daughters definitely have our family traits." Her laughing ceased as she began to think as she looked off the side then said: "Her power is freighting and if she ever..."

"She wouldn't do that."

"I wouldn't be so sure. I've seen her intensity when she releases her power, and it scares the hell out of me. What's worse is she doesn't blink an eye at it."

Shepard sighed "She's fierce just like you and you scare the hell out of your commandos."

She huffed as she placed her hands on her hips, "I'm nowhere near as scary as Benezia."

"Yes, you are, and you're just as powerful."

"I am not." She replied softly as she turned away.

He ran his hand up her rear, "No?" He slapped her ass, then said, "Do I need to make you angry."

She smirked, "Stop it." She turned to him, "How you are feeling?"

He curled his fingers toward himself, blew on them then rubbed them in his chest "No harm on this bod."

She smiled as she placed a hand on his chest "Are you sure?"

He placed his hands on her hips "Mmhmm. How are you doing?"

She shrugged, "Ok..."

"So, you're done throwing tantrums?"

His wife scoffed as she jerked her hands down to her side, "Stop saying that! Yes, ok. I'm pissed that she did that."

"Pissed? You mean, infuriated."

"Yes..." she said as turned and took a step away

He looked at her as thoughts about their love flowed through his mind then she turned to him quickly "You don't honestly believe that do you?"

"That you love her more than me?"

Liara walked to him as she furrowed her brow markings "Please tell me you're kidding. I'm more upset that I lost my friend than I am my lover."

He arched a brow "Uh-huh."

She pressed her breasts into his chest "I don't want you to ever think that I love her more because I don't. You are my lovey and always will be. You will always matter more."

He slid his hands up her back then smiled, "Just double-checking, and I'll always love you more."

Liara pulled back as she pinched her brow markings "What do you mean?"

He laughed "That never crossed your mind until now?"

She shook her head as she said, "No... "

"Well, you'll always be my lovely blue goddess."

She stared at him for a moment then asked: "Did you enjoy her better than me?"

He chuckled, "No, she's different than you, and no one will ever be you, my love."

"Different as in better?" she replied as she squinted her eyes

He continued to chuckle, "No, just different."

"Like because she's human?"

"No... well sort of but no."

She grunted, "Tell me..."

He leaned back and looked at her "Lia... you're my wife, and I love you. Let's not talk about Miri."

"I know but….just tell me."

He squeezed her breast with his hand then leaned in and kissed her neck "Your breasts are a tad bigger."

"Mhmmm what else?"

He pulled her v-neck shirt down and kissed her beauty mark on the inside of her left breast "You have this kissable beauty marks that I love."

"nMmm... yea?"

His hand shimmered down her stomach, and his hand glided over the outside of her shorts, "I love this."

She smiled "And you didn't love hers?"

He kissed up her neck, "I enjoyed hers but not as much as yours."

"And why is that?" asked his wife

He began to rub the outside of her shorts "Yours is different."

She closed her eyes briefly as she pinched her lips together "Mmmm How so?"

"You have these internal feelers that massage my dick, and she doesn't."

She let out a quick laugh, "Do I? Overpowering?"

"No, tingly and usually only near your release." He slid his hands down her rear, grabbed her thighs as he lifted her, then sat her on the medbay bed.

She pulled him closer, "Did you enjoy her as much as I?"

"No... she was different but nothing like you." He said as he began to unbutton her shorts.

"nMmm, you always light my fire baby."

"Who are you going to fuck with that dick of yours?"

She gasped as she slapped at his arm. "Jon! Why would you say that out loud?"

He smirked as he looked back at Shay and Kirre "They didn't hear me." He kissed her "Besides, I'm about to fuck you on this bed, and they're still going to be staying there when we finish."

Her eyes flashed, "Lovey, I don't know about this."

He pulled her shorts down slightly as he waited for her to lift in order to slide them all the way off. "They've seen us before."

"They've heard us before not seen us."

He unbuttoned his pants, "You think they don't watch when I fuck you in the pool."

She gasped then said, "They don't either."

"You are not that naïve. You know they do but deep inside you think they turn a blind eye."

"You want them to watch as you pleasure me? You enjoy it when someone is watching."

He smiled as his hands slid up her back and unsnapped her bra "I don't mind it, but I love pleasuring you."

Liara looked over at them then softly said: "Me in that dick turned you on..."

He scoffed, "No, it didn't."

"Yes, it did." She said as she laughed

"The dick did NOT turn me on. Are you serious?"

She smirked as he stared at her, "You always got a hard-on."

"Your face and noises as you used it is what turned me on. Two naked women in my bed is a turn on."

"My face?"

"Yes, the pure pleasure that was on your face the moment you entered Aria, Tevos, and Miranda."

She turned a darker shade. "You could see it?"

"Yes, that's how I feel when I'm in you."

Liara bit her bottom lip "Yea? You love it?"

He kissed her "mmhmm." He smiled, "Who are you going to fuck now? Hmm? Shay? Kirre?"

She scoffed as she slapped at his arm, "No! No one, I guess. Why would you say that? Do you want to?"

He chuckled, "No, just an option baby." He said then kissed her neck.

"You do too!"

He laughed, "Babe, most of your commandos are sexy. You know, I think that."

"Yea... Do you want..."

"No, and only if you want to babe. I'm perfectly fine with just you. You are my sexy blue goddess, no one else."

She smiled then gently ran her hand through his beard, "Yea?"

"Mhmm."

She looked beyond her bondmate at Shandri then Kirre than whispered, "Not today but maybe one day. Would you be happy with that?"

"I'm happy with you, my love but if you want to venture down that road, then I'm with you."

Liara smirked then kissed him, "Come with me to venture through Quadrant C some more."

He grunted, "I was kind of hoping I'd venture in you right now."

"nnMmmm my baby is all turned on, aren't you?"

"mmHmm touch me."

Liara glanced down and could see his bulge near his split fly. She kissed him as her hand drifted down underneath his underwear and massaged his hardening shaft. "nMmm lovey, do you really want to do this here?"

He moaned slightly, "mmHmm, and you can keep doing what you're doing, but I'd prefer to be inside you."

She kissed his neck "Mmm because you love my pussy?" she murmured then sucked on his earlobe.

"You know, I do."

She removed her hand from him and pushed him back slightly then hopped off the bed "Yea? What are you going to do about it?"

He quickly turned her around and pushed her faced down on the bed then jerked her shorts down. "I'm going to fuck you is what."

She gasped at how quickly she found her face pressing into the bed and the bottom half of herself naked. She quickly yelled, "Out! Get out!" Her heart was beating fast, as she already knew what he planned on doing. She felt him press against her back then felt his warm breath on her neck. Her eyes flashed when his thought changed, and she immediately pushed back against him "You better not fuck my ass!"

He rumbled in laughter, "I knew that thought would put you in a panic." He said then slapped her ass.

She scoffed, "You know I don't enjoy it."

He pushed his shorts and underwear down then pressed his hardness against her, "I know. Do you want me to fuck you?"

"Yes, Fuck me like you would her."

He smiled, "You want it hard?"

"Yes! Do it."

"Mmmm, she loved it rough." He slapped her ass harder. "Tell me."

"nMm fuck me, baby."

He leaned against her back and kissed her neck "Are you wet?"

His smooth voice echoed in her aux, "Yes, she's wet for you. I want you. I crave you." Her breath left her when she felt his shaft fill her wetness. Her hands clamped on to the sheet, and with every thrust, her body would jerk forward. "nMmm Goddess…" Their noises echoed throughout the small medbay, and with every thrust, she could hear him slap against her ass. His hands were gripping her hips tightly as he filled her over and over again. His pleasurable thoughts of how good she felt rippled through her mind. How tight she felt and how warm she felt. As he slid in and out of her, she gripped on to his shaft, and he moaned in pleasure. At the rate he was pumping into her she knew it wasn't going to be much longer. Her hand slid down, and she began to rub herself.

Shepard grunted with every hard thrust into his wife's wetness "Mmm yes baby rub that pussy."

She moaned, "Yes, baby. You like that, don't you. When I touch myself."

He was breathing heavily, "Yes…" He squeezed her hips as he released into her. "Mmmm fuuuck! Uhh!" he moaned again as he leaned against her back. "Mmm fuck you always feel so good."

Liara let out a breath as she gave him a lopsided grin "I'm not even finished."

He chuckled then kissed her shoulder, "Sorry babe." He pulled out of her then stepped back, and she turned to him.

She looked at him "That was rather quick."

"Sorry I was excited." He pat the bed. "Get up here and show me your sexiness."

She gave him a quick brow marking raise as she sat on the bed, then slid back. "You want to see me?"

"Yes, show me that lovely blue pussy of yours."

She ran her tongue over her lips as she spread her legs "This pussy?"

He smiled as he nodded, "Yes, that pussy. Touch it for me."

Her heart rate picked up as it did every time she did this for him over the decades. His eyes were focused on her, watching every move she made. He was in tune with her as he waited for her to moan and waited to hear her wetness slosh with every movement. Her tongue would wet her lips as her breathing would dry them as she would please herself. She rolled her fingers around her clit several times then changed her movement. Her hips were rocking into her hand as she clamped on to her clit then swiftly slid her fingers up and down.

Shepard watched his wife as she fingered herself and rubbed her clit "Yes, baby, that so hot. Let me hear you." He closed his eyes as he heard her fingers sloshing in her own wetness, and her palm slapped against her as she moved quickly. Her breathless moans were bouncing around in his ears. His eyes opened when she said, "nMmm, I'm almost there."

She could feel the pressure building in her nether regions. "nMmm…nMmm" A few more swipes and she would be there. Her arm was getting tired though because she normally didn't have to masturbate as he would normally get her there. Her mouth was dry from her breathing, and her arm was numb from the quick movements. She couldn't slow down though, or she'd lose the sensation, and once it's gone, then she'd have to start over.

He chuckled, "What's the matter, baby, you tired?"

"She's being difficult and won't cross over. I'm right there… I can feel it, but she won't release." She said then grunted.

He leaned in then kissed her "Want me to finish you off?"

Liara smiled "She wants you, not me."

He stepped between her legs and placed his hand on hers. When she felt his hand on hers, she removed her own and laid back. His touch always felt better than her own. His fingers slid in her quickly then up and down she folds to grab some of her wetness then his rhythm began. "nnMmm yes."

"That feel better?"

She licked her lips as she tilted her hips, "Goddess, yes, keep going." Her breaths were becoming quick "Yes..nMmm right there. Nmmm." Her body tightened then shuddered as she released. "nMmm."

Shepard pulled his fingers away, then licked them "Mmm." He smiled when she smiled at him. He leaned down and kissed her, "I love you."

"Mmm. I love you."

Shepard stepped back, and his wife hopped off the table then they both put their clothes back on. "So, are you going to come with me?"

He smirked, "What else is there to do if it's not you."

She laughed, "You are so bad. "

-/

Late into the night Benezia tapped at her omni tool and messaged her sister Gwyn.

Message to Gwyn: You awake?

Message from Gwyn: Yes. I've been waiting on you two. I've already tried to go over there, but Mom has a commando guarding the entrance.

Benezia's eyes flashed at her response then gave a quick laugh as she looked at her lover "Babe, Gwyn is there waiting on us, but mom has a commando guarding the door."

Mili pinched her brow markings "Well damn. So, now what?"

She shook her head, "Mom is so smart but can be so stupid at times."

"How do you mean?"

"Her commandos are guarding a hidden entrance. What the fuck? Us being here with our big ass ships doesn't help either. I'm pretty sure Miranda just came in a small shuttle that she probably covered or hid while she was here."

She nodded, "True. Do you think your mom will maintain people here?"

She shrugged, "Who knows. The only thing she probably needs is a camera outside. Those two entrance doors are solid. I mean if she really wants she could install some pop-up artillery, but that could always malfunction. She could even install defense inside the facility."

"True. What are we going to do? Come back when they leave?"

Benezia shook her head "Well, if we go in there at zero hours they will tell mom and then she'll ask us what we did. The first thing she'll ask about is Quadrant B. It's no brainier why we went in after everyone was asleep." She said then activated her cloaking device and slide on her spectacles. "Let's go find Gwyn then see what we're going to do."

Mili nodded, then activated her cloaking device and slid on her spectacles "Ok, right behind you."

Benezia exited her ship and cautiously walked near the facility then scanned the area for her sister. She smiled when she spotted her purplish mesh outline in her vision specs. She tapped her bondmate then point in the direction of her sister then began to sneak up behind her, and before she could say anything her sister did.

"Hey…" she said but didn't turn to look at her.

"Well, shit, how'd you know it was me?" whispered her sister.

Gwyn shook her head as she turned "Well, first off I'm not stupid. You just messaged me. Therefore, I knew you'd be on your way. I calculated roughly five minutes. Also, I'm not deaf; I could hear your shoes crunching in the dirt."

Benezia cocked her head to the side as she slightly squinted an eye, "You could hear my shoes crunching in the dirt?"

"Yes, crunch crunch crunch. You walk loudly," replied Gwyn

Benezia arched a brow marking "I do not either. It's not like I was stomping. I was sneaking."

"Hmmm? Well, you should work on that because I heard you loud and clear."

Mili laughed softly then looked at Gwyn and said: "Hey, is that new?"

Gwyn smiled at the fact that someone noticed "Yea, new cloaking device. How'd it read out on the specs?"

"It's displaying a purplish mesh instead of the normal green." Replied Benezia

She smiled, "Yea, that's what I was shooting for." She tapped a button then said, "How about now?"

Benezia and Mili jerked their heads back as the purplish grid disappeared and they saw nothing "Holy shit. You're gone."

"Nice huh?" replied Gwyn

"How? Why?"

"Well, the indicator is there for team efforts such as this, but this particular one can defy your specs, not mine."

"Ahhh highly effective yet extremely dangerous."

"Yes." replied Gwyn

"I'm guessing mom and dad have these." Said Benezia

"Not yet. This hasn't hit the market, but I'm sure they'll want one."

"Well, so do we," Benezia replied.

Gwyn re-activated her purplish mesh outline, "And why do you even have a cloak?"

Her sister scoffed "Because I have money and I can buy it, that's why. You don't need to worry about why we have cloaks, and it's none of your damn business."

"Ok ok… geez. So testy Nez. All you had to say was Omega and Aria T'Loak."

Mili laughed quietly "Damn Gwyn, you are whipping them out tonight."

Benezia softly pushed her lover, "You hush."

Gwyn smiled then looked back toward the facility "So, what are we doing? We can sneak passed her…. Well, I don't know if we can because you two walk loud as hell."

Mili laughed again as her lover scoffed then said through her teeth, "Will you just go!"

She chuckled then said, "Ok, ok, I'm going, but once we open the door she'll know."

"I'll take care of that." Replied Benezia.

"Wait…the cameras they'll know as soon as they turn off." Said Mili

Gwyn rolled her eyes "I've already taken care of that." She waved at them as she said: "Hello, technical genius, right here."

"Ok, here we go then." Said Benezia then began to concentrate on the commando guarding the door.

Gwyn looked at her sister, then whispered, "What are you doing?"

"You're right. I don't know what I was thinking trying to fucking hypnotize her." She said as her concentration broke then pulled out her tranquilizer gun and shot the commando in her neck.

Gwyn's eyes went wide as her mouth dropped open when she saw the commando drop to the ground "Oh yea because the next relieving commando won't notice that."

Benezia shrugged "She's out, isn't she." She waved at her bondmate, "Babe, hurry and go open the door."

Gwyn scoffed "What kind of shit do you two carry around on your ship?"

Mili smirked as she placed her hand on the pad "Hey, I have an accessible amount of guns and gadgets on my ship for just in case."

"And it came in handy for this," replied Benezia.

Gwyn rolled her eyes as she quickly tapped at her omni tool to activate the camera loop she recorded an hour before she left her quarters. "Ok, cameras are set. We're good to go."

They nodded at her as the door open, and they made their way inside. The moment they were in, Gwyn quickly walked over to the console and tapped at the keyboard then looked up when Quadrant B opened. She let out a quick breath, "Ok, it's open."

As they walked in their eyes widen when they saw a large container lying horizontal "Holy shit. There he is." said Benezia.

Gwyn pinched her brow markings "Hmmm his cryo unit is different than Miranda's."

"Yea I noticed that too," replied Milizkia as they walked up to the capsule and looked at the human submerged in liquid.

"Damn, he is young." Said Benezia as she looked at her lover then her sister, "How old do you think he is?"

Gwyn cleared her throat "He's thirty to be precise."

"What? How do you know that?" asked Benezia

"I download the documentation on him. Cerberus made him when dad died during the war. As they were attempting to bring dad back to life they made this clone as a backup. Everything they did to dad at the time they did to this clone. Same synthetic organs and limbs, even his hairline scar. The only main difference is the brain and fingerprints. This is a clean slate as if he was just born."

Mili turned to Gwyn, "So, how does the memory thing work?"

Gwyn walked over to the memory scanner and touched it "This memory scanner takes memories from the original and implants them into the new." She shook her head "That's the overall gist, but I haven't read in-depth on how that works exactly. I get how that would work on a machine but not organics."

"It works somehow." Replied Benezia. She snapped her fingers repeatedly then said: "There's already a machine that can fool us asari when we read minds."

"Really? How so?" asked Gwyn

"They implant a memory into their own minds. Something they want us to see, but it's not real. We wouldn't know the difference unless we really focus."

"Huh… interesting. Well, I'll read more on this and see if I can figure it out. I'm assuming another reason why Miranda wanted me to be a part of this. I might have to involve Riley sooner than later to help with this brain-scanning machine."

Mili nodded, "Probably a good idea that way we're ready if something happens."

Gwyn continued to walk the facility until she came to a storage unit "Look at this." she said as tears filled her eyes "She has all of us here just in case." She pointed to a vial and read the label "Benezia pre-powers." Then read the other "Benezia post." Her fingers gently rolled over Hannah Shepard then Aethyta.

Tears slowly dripped from Milizkia's eyes as she stared at one vial, in particular, _Alexander Shepard._ "He's right here in this vial, but she didn't remake him. Why?"

Her lover looked at her and wiped the tears from her face "Because she let him go and she moved on. Just because we perish doesn't mean we have to be remade. All of this is mostly for mom. Well… and Miranda but she's strong and can continue on."

Gwyn nodded then said, "That, and you can't rebuild someone if you don't have a brain scan of them. I mean you can, but it won't be them." She ran her hand over another machine "As old as these machines are this is top of the line technology."

Benezia nodded then walked over to the clone's unit and knocked on the container "Yep and why—" She jumped back when his eyes popped open "HOLY SHIT!"

Gwyn and Mili quickly turned and rushed over to Benezia "What? What happened?" asked Mili

"His eyes opened!" replied Benezia

They quickly looked at the clone "Oh my god. That can't be." said Gwyn.

"Can it see us?" asked Mili

Gwyn shook her head "No, it shouldn't." She walked around the unit then bent down to take a quick glance underneath it "This unit is different than Miranda's. Different than a cryogenic stasis pod where you're frozen in time. He's submerged in this liquid just as if it was embryotic fluid. He grows until a specific age then frozen in time. I'm not sure what this particular liquid is as it has to be similar to what they use in the cryo pods."

"Yea but why did his fucking eyes open if he's frozen in time?" asked Benezia

"I don't know! I'm not a damn scientist!"

Benezia pointed to the clone when his eyes moved "It's fucking looking at me, Gwyn!"

She squinted her eyes as she focused on his then she jumped back when his eyes moved to her "OH my god he's awake! SHIT!" She ran to the closest console and repeatedly said, "Shit." When she reached a computer, she quickly tapped at it.

Benezia and Mili ran toward her "What's that mean? Did we do something? Shit did I touch something?"

Gwyn shook her head "No, no! Just shut up and let me think!" she said quickly as she ran her hands over her crest then tried to playback everything she did earlier today. She quickly typed at the keyboard and brought up the command coding "Fuck… mom had me change all these damn protocols and restrictions earlier, and one must have triggered something else, and I didn't see it. He's been fucking defrosting since I don't fucking know when."

Mili and Benezia both made a face "Fuck… and if we didn't come in here?"

She let out a breath "Then he would have just stayed in there." She paused as she leaned on the console, "Just be quiet and let me fix this. We're running out of time to get out of here before the next commando arrives."

Benezia patted her sister's shoulder "Ok, we'll be over here if you need anything."

She nodded as she scanned through the table of contents "Ahh.. ok, how to make a clone and how to put someone in cryogenic stasis." She scanned the document and mumbled to herself as she read "Uh-huh… yea yea. Release embryotic liquid… yea got it. Yea.. yea… yea….Induce sleep with a chemical if necessary…yep got it…mmhmmm yep…. Close then begin cryo freeze. Mmmmk it doesn't say that I need to remove clones from growing containers. Good." She looked back at them then said, "Ok, I got it. I need your help, though."

They walked back toward her "Ok… what are we doing?"

She pointed to the clone "Ok, ummm we need to drain the liquid then…" She scrunched her face, "…ummmm re-apply it?" She looked back down at the document then mumbled: "I think…"

"Ok… is there a button or a lever or something?" asked Benezia

"Yea yea just a second." Said Gwyn as she scanned down the next set of documents "Ok, umm there's a switch—" She froze when she heard her voice, and she knew exactly who it was.

"Ladies…."

"Shay…" replied Benezia as she turned slowly to look at the highly upset asari standing at the door with two other asari.

"I thought you didn't know what was in here or didn't have access." asked Shandri

"Ummm well… ya see." replied Gwyn

Shandri held up her hand "I don't need to hear your excuses. My question is what the hell are you all doing in here at this hour, and why did you knock out my commando on duty?"

"I was getting to that." replied Gwyn

"No, what was going to come out of your mouths is an excuse. You're lucky I didn't wake your mother—"

Benezia smirked, "Shay you use mother as if we're ten, and besides Mili is in charge of this facility, not her."

Shay quickly pointed to her and sneered "Don't you start your shit with me! She gave specific instructions to keep this facility under lock and key until we get more outdoor security in place." She looked at them all "Whatever the hell it is your doing, STOP and shut the Quadrant down!"

Benezia looked at her lover then her sister then back at Shandri "Shay, we can't do that. We need to finish then we'll shut it down." replied Benezia

Shandri walked over toward Benezia then looked at the unit in front of her and gasped, "Goddess above…" She looked at Benezia then back at the unit "Is that a Shepard clone and is it awake?"

"That's what we're trying to fix," said Gwyn. "Mom, had me change all these protocols and well one of them woke up this clone. I need to finish this then we'll leave."

"Mom can't know about this." said Benezia.

Shay let out a breath as she nodded, "Finish up whatever it is you need to do than lock this Quadrant down." She said then turned and walked out.

"Yes, ma'am," replied Gwyn. She stared at the console, "Ok, Let's put him back to sleep." She began to scan over the documents again then paused, "Shit, ummm Mil, can you go check on Miranda while we finish up here?"

As Mili began to turn, she heard another familiar voice, "So, you ladies getting into trouble, I see." She looked at Gwyn then said, "You having a hard time with that?"

Gwyn smirked, "No, I think I've got it." She replied as she tapped at a few controls

"Uh-huh. If everything is under control, then why is he awake, and why did I sleep for only a few days?" said Miranda

She let out a breath, "Well, do you want the long version or the short one?"

Miranda smirked, "The only way this could have happened is—-"

"I know I know, ok. I tampered with restrictions and protocols. A technical mishap, ok. It's a rarity, but it does happen. Mom has been hovering over me, and well, you know how she is."

"That I do and I had a feeling she was going to have you make changes."

Gwyn grunted then turned to her aunt "Then why?"

She crossed her arms "It wouldn't have mattered what I did; she would have asked you to do it, and you would have obliged. It is extremely hard for you to say no to her, and you don't want to disappoint her either."

Gwyn looked down, "You're right. I don't, and I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'm not angry with you, and well shit happens." Replied Miranda then pointed to the clone "Nez, hit that switch near the unit."

Benezia pointed to one of the switches, "This one?"

"Nope, the one next to it.. yea that'll put him out." She pointed to an empty growth unit. "We're going to move him in this one."

"What?!" Examined Gwyn

"Why are we moving him." Asked Mili

"Because he's been awake in this unit for however long. It's contaminated, and we must change units then sterilize this one. "It's a simple process, and I've done it before." She looked at Gwyn, "Ok, smarty-pants, let's prepare to move him." She looked at Benezia "Nez, that red button there will drain that container. Go ahead and hit it."

"Wait, why are you out and about and he isn't?" asked Mili

"Because no matter what happens to this facility, he wouldn't have been released. I believe I programmed that into one of my holographic messages to you." She said as she prepped the new unit.

Mili turned a darker shade of purple "Oh right, Yea you did."

"Is that why these containers are different," asked Benezia

"Yes and no. These are growth units but also have the ability to freeze the person inside. The ones in Quadrant A are strictly cryogenic units." She pointed to Gwyn "Ok, Gwyn tab over to Specimen and click the command to release any and all attachments. Once that's complete I want Mil and Nez to biotically lift and move him to this unit here."

Gwyn turned and watch the clone float across the room as liquid dripped from his body. "Why is he wet and you're not."

Miranda smiled "I'm surprised that huge brain of yours hasn't comprehended why."

She pinched her brow markings "I mean… I have an idea."

"Ok, then let's hear it." Replied Miranda

She picked at her jeans as she swallowed hard then said, "Ummm well… You are in a regular cryo pod that dry freezes and upon pre-release you defrost within your pod as the thermal temperature slowly increases as to not shock the body's system."

Miranda nodded, "Yes, and?"

"When normal body temperature sets in your pod open. Upon fully awaking you could be discombobulated as everything returns to normal."

"Correct and for these units?" She said as she attached a few body monitor cords to the clone.

"Ummm being that these are growth units….ummm" She scrunched her face as she quickly thought "The liquid drains then the unit is dry frozen and upon pre-release ummmmm liquid fills the unit back up and then slowly heated to defrost the unit?"

Miranda nodded, "Yea, for the most part. Nice job." She said then closed the unit then turned to the small side console and pushed a few buttons. "And he's frozen again." She walked over to the other unit and closed it then hit a few buttons to sterilize it.

"Are you staying awake now that you're up to or do we need to put you back to sleep?" asked Gwyn

Miranda turned to her, "I would like to go back to sleep if that's ok with you all."

Gwyn pinched her brow markings "It's not ok, but it's not up to us, is it."

"I do this for my own sake."

"I know that, and your calculations were wrong." Replied Gwyn

She arched a brow "Wrong? How so?" asked Miranda

"Your children carry your enhanced genes and aren't normal humans. With nanites, they could possibly outlive you."

Miranda pinched her brows as she grit her teeth "Well shit… you're right I didn't think of that." She let out a breath then thought for a moment, "Ok, well when you figure out how to stabilize those nanites and safely distribute them then come and wake me." She held up a finger, "No. One more thing when you know my children will outlive me then come wake me. If not, then back to my original plan. Is that in agreement?"

The girl nodded then said, "Agreed."

"Great, now get me back into a unit and lock up this Quadrant." She looked at Gwyn "I expect you fix some of my main protocols. One's that prevent your mother from doing whatever the hell she wants."

"Yes, ma'am. I will comb through everything tomorrow. I promise when I leave here everything will be suitable for her and you." Replied Gwyn

Miranda nodded, "Fair enough."


	3. Betrayal

Shepard Stories III

**Ch 3: Betrayal**

**Earth - Cameron Shepard's Residence - 2285CE**

Cameron grabbed his small floating broadcasting camera and tossed it into the air. He looked at himself in the mirror as he ran his hands down the bare slick sides of his head then down his bare face. He sniffed as he grabbed a small glob of pomade rubbed it in his hands then quickly ran it through his short black hair. He turned his head from side to side then ran two fingers through the royal blue streak that ran through his hair. "Ahhh perfect. Oh..." he flicked a few pieces in place then smiled "Now it's perfect."

He smiled as he hit record "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Get ready for another day in the life of the one and only Cam Shepard. He smirked, "For those of you that are new, my name is Cameron Shepard. I am the son of Jon and Miranda Shepard." He glanced down at his feed and smiled "Yes, that's right you heard me, Jon and Miranda Shepard. Today is my twentieth year broadcasting my life, and I think today would be a great day for an adventure through Dead Man's Hollow." He rose both index fingers as he smiled and glanced at the time "Also, I have a surprise for you all." He bobbed his head as he smiled "Oh, yea just wait because your minds are going to explode." His head turned when he heard a knock at the door. He looked at the camera as he walked to the door "Here we go, right on time because she's never late." He opened the door, and he smiled as his eyes came upon his lovely mother who was wearing khaki shorts, a light blue tank top that was covered with a long sleeve half-buttoned shirt and hiking shoes "Ladies and gentlemen my mother, Miranda Shepard."

Miranda smiled as she looked at her handsome son with a camera hovering in front of him. "Look at you! Handsome as ever." She kissed his cheek, "Love that baby face."

He pointed to the lip print on his cheek. "Look at that! Huh? Motherly love. Momma loves me."

She smiled at her son then looked at the camera and slowly twirled as she smiled. "How do I look?"

He laughed as he glanced at all the instant comments on his feed "Gorgeous as always mother and they're loving it. You ready for this?"

She grabbed at her hair as she pulled it back in a pony "Oh yea, I'm ready. This is going to be fun."

"Awesome!" He said then looked at the camera "This is why I love her so much." He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He left his arm hooked around her shoulder as he talked to his mother and his viewers "So, I was just telling them that today seemed like a good day for a stroll through dead man's hollow."

She smirked "Dead Man's Hollow...? A stroll? I thought we were hitting the basic canyons."

He shook his head as he smiled, "Scared?"

She laughed, "I'm not scared, but you talk as if that's an easy thing to do." She cocked her head, "You're a highly experienced canyoneer?"

He scoffed, "Are you serious? Have you not seen my stream? I've been extreme canyoning multiple times. He placed his hands on his hips. "What about you hmm will you be able to maintain?'

"Believe it or not, I am quite the adventurer. I've done several crazy things in my life that would make your head spin."

He laughed, "I'm sure you did."

She arched her brow, "Yea, so canyoning…pffftt… doesn't even compare."

He threw his head back as he rumbled in laughter, "God, I love you!"

—/

Several days later...

Cameron froze when his eyes came across a scrolling ticker at the bottom of his television screen. His eyes blinked as tears began to drizzle down his face as his heart dropped. He let out a ragged breath as he attempted to breathe. His body began to tremble, and his knees became weak when he continuously read: _Miranda Lawson-Shepard billionaire found dead in a tragic accident._ A grueling sound came out of his mouth, then the word "Noooooo." He took a sharp breath as he ran his hands ran threw his hair as he sobbed.

For days he just sat in silence, withdrawn as he sipped his beer and thought of his mother dying horribly in an accident. The pain that lingered in his heart for his beloved mother. He blinked as he continued to stare into nowhere. He turned when he heard her laughing, and he smiled for a brief moment at the thought of her beautiful laugh. His face scrunched as he began to cry then took a sharp breath, and it echoed in his empty room. He ran his hands down his arms at his mother giving him a hug right before she left his house just several days before. Then his sad thoughts came to a screeching halt as new ones began to ripple through his mind. His brows pinched then he mumbled "No…she didn't lose control. No… she… she was murdered." He looked down at his omni tool and called his father.

Shepard looked down at his omni tool and saw that his son Cameron was calling him. He closed his eyes then mumbled "Shit..." he tapped his Omni tool, "Hello?" He heard a few ragged breaths then saw someone sitting there leaning on his thighs as he took a deep breath. He looked into the camera then said, "Yea..."

Shepard pinched his brows at his drunken son with bloodshot eyes "Cam?

He sobbed quietly then said, "Dad... please tell me this is some sort of bad dream because I just saw her a few days ago."

Shepard furrowed his brow then felt the soft wetness trickle down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, son. I—"

"NO! It's not fucking true!" He yelled. He took a sharp breath then said: "She was murdered, and you better find her fucking killer!"

He quietly replied "Cam..."

"No, mom would NOT die like this! She was too organized; there's no fucking way. There was no malfunction, and she would have tripled checked!"

"Cam..."

"No! Someone murdered her and you better fucking find them. Do you hear me?" he yelled

Shepard closed his eyes then looked at his wife. "Cam your mother wasn't murdered. There's no one to find."

"You refuse to look?" he asked

"There's no one to find!"

"Bullshit! I know her! No matter how bad that ship was, she would have landed it better than that ship landed. No indication of a struggle, bullshit! And you fucking know it. She wouldn't have just sat back and died. She would have fought to the very end, or she would have bailed."

Shepard lowered his head "You need to face the fact that she's gone and there's no one to find. I'm sorry. We're all hurting."

"That's it? Huh? You're not going to even try to find her killer just put it to bed." He scrunched his face. "Awesome dad just fucking awesome. I thought you loved her."

"I do love her."

"Oh, yea, and it shows."

He sighed then shook his head "Cam..."

"No! See if it were Liara, then it would be a different story, right? You'd be out there fucking looking! But who's gives a shit about my mother though right?"

Shepard shook his head, "Not true."

"Then fucking go find them!"

"There's no one to fucking find! No one!"

"That's a lie!" He yelled then looked at Liara. "And you Auntie, huh? You refuse to look, and you'd rather just sit on your ass too?"

Liara pinched her brow markings "No, that's not it at all. There's no one to find!"

"Bullshit! I knew my mother, she'd check, and double-check then triple check the equipment before she took off. There's no way that she died because of a faulty ship! Stop fucking lying to me!"

Liara took a breath, "Sweetie, I'm sorry..."

"She was your best friend, and she meant shit to you apparently!"

She clenched her fists as she grew angry "I loved her! I'm just as upset about this as you are."

"Then do something! You own the number one information brokerage in the galaxy, find who did this!"

She quickly yelled, "There's no one to find because she's not dead!" She gasped as she slammed her hand on her mouth.

Cameron froze at her words. He looked at his dad then at Liara as he pinched his brows. "What...? What the hell did you just say?"

Liara looked at her bondmate who was now shaking his head at what she said "Umm nothing..."

"No... you said that my mother wasn't dead. If she's not dead then where the hell is she?"

Shepard took a breath "Cam, your mother is in a cryo pod. She didn't die, nor was she ever in a crash. She faked her death."

His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach as tears dripped down his face "I don't understand. Why would she do that? Is she sick?"

He shook his head as he ran his hand over his beard, "No. She umm... She didn't want to see her children die so she put herself in cryo until all of you and your children pass."

Cameron didn't think his heart could break any more than it had. He clutched on to his chest as his tears flowed. "She'd rather sleep than be in our lives?"

Liara instantly saw his pain. She pinched her brow markings as she touched her hand to her lips. "I'm sorry, sweetie..."

He scrunched his face as he took several ragged breaths. "You're sorry… that my mother doesn't want to be around us? She doesn't want to be involved in our lives anymore. Are we that bad? Are we that hard to love?" He shrugged his shoulders "She just said oh well fuck em."

Liara shook her head "No, your mother loves you all very much."

"Oh, yea. I can see the love. Put yourself in cryo until we're all dead. Oh yea, I can definitely see how much she loved us." He swirled his hand "Then let's apply icing on the fucking cake by faking her death. Fucking Awesome! Like she couldn't stoop any fucking lower!" He pointed to his dad, "And you! If Liara wouldn't have blurted out that she wasn't dead. You would have let me chase a fucking dead end?"

"I said there was no one to find!" Shepard hissed

Cameron grit his teeth as he began to shake, then yelled, "Fuck you! Fuck both of you! She may not be dead, but she might as well be, Fuck her!"

Shepard let out a breath as their transmission ended, then yelled, "Fuck!"

Liara closed her eyes as she shook her head, "Damn it... now what?"

"I have no idea Liara." He rubbed his eyes, then said, "I knew they would be upset with her death. Cam is different; he spent so much time with her than the rest. I had a feeling he would notice that something was amiss. He just knew her too well." He shook his head "If he's anything like my mother or Alex, then that anger in him will build up. That betrayal will fester, his heart is already shattered, and a black hole will remain."

Liara scrunched her face, "Goddess Shepard. We have to do something."

"What do we do? Hmmm? He loved her unconditionally and then now she just up and left him." He shook his head, "Damn her."

She ran her hand down his back. "Should we wake her?"

"It won't fix it Liara. The damage she did is already done. He'll just see it as pity, and it doesn't mean he'll forgive her." He shrugged, "I don't know… maybe he will."

"Should we go talk to him?"

"He needs to cool off. He's too angry right now. I'll call him in a few days."

—/

When Cameron ended his transmission, he clenched his fists and just roared in anger as his body shook and his aura blazed. He picked up the nearest object and chunked it across the room then another. "Arrrrghhhhhhhhh! I fucking hate you!" He walked through his home as he continued to demolish one thing after another in anger. He turned when he heard his wife yelling at him, "Cameron, what the hell are you doing?"

"What the fuck does it look like I'm doing? I'm fucking letting off steam!" he hissed

"Oh, so you wreck the fucking house?"

"Yes, it's my house!"

She rolled her eyes, "You have issues."

"You're right, I do. My mother…" He drug his fingers down his scalp as he bared his teeth. Then suddenly blazed his hand and punched the wall repeatedly, "…aaaarrrggghh fuuuck!" He clenched his fists then yelled, "Fuuuuuck! Fuuuccck you!"

His wife's eyes widen as she took several steps back "What happened? Are you not getting your inheritance?"

He looked at her and just laughed, "Awesome! Two in one fucking day."

"What?"

He shook his head, "You're a bitch; that's what. Let me guess it was never about love but money. Am I right?"

She shook her head, "What? Isn't that why you're so angry? I thought you were speaking to your father about her will."

"Her will?" He looked at her, "Her will? Do you think I give a shit about her fucking will?"

"Well... how are we supposed to live without—"

"Money?" He laughed then bobbed his finger at her "Ya know my mother warned me about you. All you money-grubbing fucking whores. To think I thought you were different than the others and actually thought you loved me. Wow!"

"I do love you!"

"Oh really but yet that's the only thing on your mind right now is money. Not my mother's "death" or my feelings but fucking money!"

"That's not it at all. Your mother gave you an allowance. I'm just trying to figure out—"

He laughed, "Your right, my mother gave me an allowance. She always did, right up until I became of age."

His wife pinched her brows, "So, you've had your inheritance?"

He smiled, then shook his head "No...Yes, but no. You see, my mother sat down with me when I wanted to marry my first bitch of a wife. She thought it would be a good idea if she took back the possession of my inheritance to make sure that people like you wouldn't take me for my money. I told her she would be wrong but come to find out she was right. So when my ex-wife wanted half, she barely got anything."

"And all those times you called her for approval to buy something."

He laughed, "Ehh. I didn't need approval. I'd talk to her about it and yea as always she would transfer whatever amount of money I wanted." He looked at his wife "You're just like the rest of them. At first your all for it then it's just about the money. Well, good luck with that because I currently only have ummmmmm maybe twenty thousand in my account."

She narrowed her eyes, "Twenty thousand? That's all? But she was just here. What the hell did you two do?" His wife replied

He cocked his head at her "What did we do? Do you think I call my mother just for money? Or that I spend time with her just for money! No, I actually loved my mother, and it's not just about money. I valued our conversations and the time we spent together." He continuously jammed his index finger into the side of his head "Everything she taught me in my life is right here!"

She placed her hands on her hips "Yea? And now that she's gone? Huh? What now? Are you actually going to get your money and her businesses? Hmmm? Go work like your other brothers and sisters."

He sniffed as he ran his hand under his nose. "They don't have to work, but they choose to. I chose to take a different path, and my mother was ok with that because she knew I was doing something." He smiled "You thought my broadcasting was stupid and a waste of time but I made money off it. You didn't know that did you?" He pointed at her "You never kept up with that part of the world, did you?"

She jerked her head back, "What? And where is this money?"

He smirked, "You're not listening, are you? My mother handled everything. Everything went to her and then she's disbursed money to me."

She pinched her lips together, then said: "You withheld all of this from me?"

A smile slowly crept across his face as his brows shot up quickly. She curled her lip at him "Well, I'll get what's mine."

He laughed then said, "What's yours? Nothing of MINE is yours!" He rose his finger, "But as I mentioned before. Good luck with that."

"I'll get it..."

He rose his hands then turned in a circle as he spoke, "What this? Huh?" He pointed to the door, "What my cars? My ship? What?"

"It all worth something..."

He laughed, "Oh ok. Once we sell everything…" He paused, "Or better yet… how about I liquidate everything to one of my sisters for a few credits, and you'll get shit! Then after your gone, they'll just give it back to me."

"You think you can fuck me over? I'll get half of your overall inheritance."

He rumbled in laughter, "No, you won't. How can you get something that's not in my

name? Huh? Besides, my aunt will guarantee that. We also have the best lawyers in the galaxy."

She huffed, "What about your children?"

He pinched his brow then arched one. "What about my children?"

"You'll give them nothing? I'm sure your mother set something aside for them."

He glanced at his four children that ranged in age from twenty-five to eight, and each child from a different woman. Christopher is the eldest with jet black hair and hazel eyes. Jason had brown hair and blue eyes like his dad. Makayla had jet black hair and blue eyes like his mother. Then he looked at his oddball out, Stephen. Stephen had fiery red hair and blue eyes like his current wife, Lauren. He always wondered if that was his. "My children have always been taken care of. Steve, on the other hand. We'll have to see if he's even mine."

She scoffed, "He's yours!"

"Is he? All my other children have traits from the Shepard and Lawson line but not Stephen. As strong as my family genes are, there's not one damn trace of me in him." He looked down at the tiny cuts on his knuckles. "My children will always have something special that can't be faked."

"Faked? You think his documents are fake?"

He smirked, "We'll find out. If he is, then he'll get what's his, but if he isn't, then he'll get nothing. I'll also strip him of my name."

"You hateful asshole! What the hell is wrong with you? He looks like me so therefore he's not yours? What the fuck?"

He clapped his hands slowly "I almost forgot. Great performance by the way. Excellent acting. I mean I guess that's why you're an actress. You just turn it off and on when you please."

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever Cam." She turned on her heel, "You need help." She rose her hand as she walked away "You'll hear from my lawyer, and Stephen will not be in your life."

"Like I fucking care!"

She stopped and shook her head, then turned and walked back to him, "You know, there's one thing I want to know before I go?"

"Oh yea what's that?"

"Just how much money does your family spend on beauty elixirs?"

He pinched his brows "What the fuck are you talking about? Beauty elixirs?"

"Oh come on I know you take them. Your fucking sixty-five and look like your in your twenties. Your mother and father are over a hundred and look fiftyish. Enlighten me. Hmm?"

He gave out a quick laugh, "Family secret."

She huffed as her hand came down then sneered. "Are you that worried about your appearance that you spend thousands upon thousands on your appearance? Look at you with your perfect fucking hair and your perfect stubbled face. You're a damn mess, and you still look fucking perfect."

"Yea and what the fuck is your point?"

She smirked, "Maybe… your just in a threesome with an Asari like your mother was! Hmm? Maybe it's just Asari pus—"

He grit his teeth, then pushed her "Shut the fuck up and get out of my house!"

She glared at him as she got up from the ground, "You fucking asshole! You'll pay for that!"

He took a step toward her "Get the fuck out!" He seethed then took several deep breathes. After she stormed out, he glanced at the pictures of his kids on the wall then at a picture of his mother and father. He looked down and mumbled, "Will we suffer the same fate?"

-/

**Armali, Thessia - T'Soni-Shepard's Residence - 2287CE**

Liara sat at her desk then tapped at her keyboard and waited a moment for her screen to load. She looked at her nephew and her lover. They were smiling as they dangled several meters in the air as they sat still for a picture. She clicked on the title Dead Man Hollow with Mom. Liara sat and watched his last major broadcast with his mother with over several hundred million views. They laughed and joked throughout the stream. Liara watched as he looked down at his Omni tool, over at a dark crack in the earth then back at his Omni tool. He turned as he let out a few elongated whistles then said: "Hey mom check this out." He pointed to what looked like a fault in the earth's surface."

Miranda pinched her brows "What's in there?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure, want to check it out?"

She walked over to it and shined a bright light into it. "I don't know Cam it's pretty narrow in there. It looks like a tight fit."

He bumped her gently. "Oh come on mom it'll be fun."

"I don't mind these open-aired climbs but who knows what's in there." She looked around, "It's bad enough there are wild animals out here, scavenging."

He fluttered his fingers, "Mom's scared of the what could be. It's Dead Man's Hollow. Oooooo..."

She placed her hands on her hips as she curled her lip. Then she fanned her hand out in a large circle "No, this whole area is Dead Man's Hollow."She pointed to the blacken crack. "That is a dark ass crack of who knows what!"

His laughter came flying out, "A dark ass crack?" He grabbed his side as he continued to laugh, "It'll be fine."

She shinned her light into the darkness, then grit her teeth. "I swear to Christ Cam if something is in there I'm going to kick your ass!"

Liara pinched her brow markings then shook her head as she mumbled: "Please tell me you didn't go in there." She leaned forward as the video continued to play.

Cameron removed his backpack and gear then slowly stepped down into the hole. His mother grabbed the back of his shirt "Wait, why are you removing your backpack and gear?"

He looked up at her "Well, you said it yourself it's going to be a tight fit. We'll have to shimmy through it, and the gear will be in the way."

Her brow quickly popped. "Shimmy through it? Are you crazy?"

He pointed to himself, "Experienced canyoneer remember. I know these canyons pretty well and Yes shimmy through it. Ya know back to the wall, hands, and feet—"

She quickly replied, "I know what shimmy means!"

He chuckled. "Ok, ok, easy. It'll be fine. Let's go." He looked back at her as she just stared at him "Mom, it'll be fine. Come on."

She let out a breath as she took her backpack and gear off, then placed it on the ground. She closed her eyes as she shook her head, then proceeded behind him. The light from his camera only illuminated where they were and not the darkness below them or the darkness surrounding either side of them.

Liara let out a breath, "Oh my goodness, what if they lost their grip and fell?" She bit her lip and furrowed her brow markings as she continued to watch.

As they were well within the cave, Cameron looked at his mom who's back was pressed up against the wall. The palm of her hands were pressed firmly against the other wall in front of her, and her knees were bent as the soles of her shoes were gripping the wall. He'd never seen his mother nervous before, but he could see it now as they inched further and further into the darkness. "You doing ok?"

"Am I doing ok? Are you kidding me right now?" She snapped back then blinked several times.

He chuckled slightly "Well, you look a little nervous."

"A little nervous? We're in darkness, Cam! Hovering over NOTHING with no safety equipment! God knows how far we are in here. This is a damn maze. How many turns have we taken? Hmm? Where the hell are we?"

He made an oh shit face into the camera then looked back at his mom "You don't know where we are?"

She cocked her head as she glared at him "Don't fuck with me, Cam!" She looked down at the darkness then looked at him "You better know where we fucking are!"

He made a face, "I thought you were keeping track."

She pressed her left hand into the wall firmly and released her right as it came down on his shoulder repeatedly, "Are you fucking kidding me!"

"Ow ow ow! Ok ok. Mom you're going to make me lose my grip—."

Liara jerked backed and gasped when she saw him slide down the crevice in a panic then saw Miranda slide down as she grabbed his hand and yelled his name in a panic "Cameron!" Her body was twisted as she struggled to maintain her own grip against the wall and hold him.

He looked up at her as she said, "Get your grip. I promise you I will not let you go."

He kicked his feet out "I can't the wall lobs off here."

She squeezed his hand tighter as her shoulder began to hurt as his weight pulled at it. "Umm ok, then I'll stasis you up."

He looked down and heard rustling then said: "Mom, there's something down here."

She looked around in the darkness, "What? How do you mean? Like a creature?"

"Yea... I hear something—"

She felt a jerk then he was gone. The camera lingered for a moment on his mother as horror struck her. Her face twisted as she looked down and scanned the darkness. She took a ragged breath when she couldn't see anything, then she screamed, "Cameron!"

Liara covered her mouth when the camera left Miranda and zoomed off into the precipice. "Oh my goodness, she was left in darkness." Her heart was pounding then she saw this creature running off with her nephew. The animal stopped, and Cameron just looked at it with his hands up then whispered, "It's me. Where the hell have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you! Next time when I call you, you come!"

Liara's eyes squinted as she tried to look at this filthy creature closer. Her brow markings raised as she shook her head "He went in there to find Rocco and didn't tell his mother." She smirked, "She's going to be pissed."

The camera turned and focused on a blue glow as it's illumination grew brighter within the darkened cave. He saw his mother drop down quickly. The moment her feet hit the ground, she yelled out, "Cameron!" He saw fear of the possible loss of her son on her face and rage at something killing her son. The joke was over, and he didn't want to poke the bear any more than he already had "Mom!"

Her head instantly turned to him, then she carefully made it over to him, "Are you ok?"

"Yea I'm fine."

She turned around quickly with her biotics blazed when something nudged her "What the fuck is that? What's in here?" She said as she looked around when she heard shuffling.

He hesitated then carefully said, "Umm...Rocco..."

She grit her teeth then slapped his shoulder "You asshole! You knew exactly what was down here!" She hit him again, "Ugh I hate you! I almost had a fucking heart attack!" She shook her head then gave a slight smirk as she mumbled: "So, something your uncle would have done."

He chuckled hesitantly. "Yea? Sorry. I lost Rocco a few days ago, and I've been looking for him. I was here yesterday, and I tracked him here but couldn't find him. When you called the other day, I figured I'd give it another go."

Miranda nodded, "You tracked him here with the tracker in his back?"

"Yep, that's right."

"How'd he get down here?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure. I mean we've been throughout the canyons numerous times just to hike and sometimes I'dhave him hunt. This particular place though only a handful of times. There are a few ways into this particular cave, but it's a much longer route. The way we went in is shorter." He looked at his mother, and she just glared at him. He smiled "Here come check this out." As they walked further and further into the darkness, they saw a glow.

"What is that?" She asked

"I'm not sure, but it's like a bioluminescent, and it lights up the whole area beyond this particular spot. It's pretty cool."

Liara was amazed by the site "Wow. What a discovery. How do I not know about this?"

"Hey look at this.."

Miranda smiled as she looked at the ancient artwork on the walls. "Wow, Liara would love this."

He smiled, "I know..." He waved her on " Come on. I have something else to show you. After a while, he pointed and said: "Take a look at that."

She smiled broadly, "Wow. Is that a lake in a canyon? Umm cave.."

"Yep! Ever seen one this crystal clear?" He pointed as he leaned into her, "You can see all the way to the bottom."

Miranda nodded, "Besides the hellish scare you gave me this is absolutely amazing!"

He pointed up, "If you want an adrenaline spike, you can drop through that ass crack over there all the way down into the lake."

She threw her head back as she laughed, then placed her hands on her hips as her laugh tapered off "You are just like your uncle. He loved the feel of adrenaline."

He smirked, "Well, I never knew uncle Alex, but I do love me some adrenaline."

She smiled, then said, "Oooh, you would have loved him."

Liara smiled then sighed as she stopped the video. She looked at Cameron's website, and his last transmission was the day before Miranda's crash. She clicked on another one of his websites, and it was the same. No more broadcasting logs. No more updates to his social media. One of the highest-ranking vloggers just dropped off the extranet. She sat back in her chair as she thought. The last few times she saw him was at his divorce proceeding then at his inheritance proceedings. After those proceedings, he dismissed his shadow, left his beloved Rocco with Sam, and dumped his Omni tool. "No one's heard from him in years." She continued to look at her datapad. "He sold everything and nothing else was listed in his name. Liara shook her head "How can that be? Well, unless he changed his name." She tapped at a few buttons and nothing. There was no documentation stating he legally changed his name. "Took his money and vanished. Hmm..."

She pulled up his record and read through the charges during the times he was younger. Mostly assault and battery charges. She remembered the late-night calls to his mother for help and never his father. Media news and videos on him brutally beating men in bars or parties. She shook her head, "You definitely have your uncle and grandmother's anger."

—/

**GL Science and Tech Co. - 2290CE**

Anna walked into Gwyn's office "So, what happened?"

Gwyn huffed "What happened?" she waved her hands around "Look at this place. Damn thieves."

Anna looked around as she nodded, "I thought you had the top of the line security system."

"I do! This was an inside job. They knew exactly how much time they had. They knew what they wanted and took it." She looked around, "Everything worth anything was in my office."

Anna looked around her building, "What about the stuff in here?"

Gwyn let out a breath "The stuff they took it here doesn't compare to what's in my office."

"What did they go after?" Asked Anna

Gwyn tapped at her omni took and brought up her prototypes. "These." She said as she flipped through her collection.

Anna pointed at a pair of contact lenses, "What's so special about those?"

"Well, when activated, they heighten your vision. They also have a function to allow you to see in the dark."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I know, Ok. Military project..." Replied Gwyn

Anna leaned in and looked at the small curved design on her omni tool, "What is that?"

"It's a neurotransmitter." She tapped two fingers at her temple. "It gets installed here." She touched the back of her neck, "Here." And then touched her forearm near her omni tool "And here. The brain of the tech is near the temple. This is where you control what's going on. The base of the neck and forearm are tiny microscopic implants that help process the data."

Anna scrunched her brow markings, "Yea, but what the fuck is it?"

Gwyn rolled her eyes, "Were you not listening, it's a neurotransmitter."

"And that means absolutely dick to me." Replied her sister

She huffed, "A neurotransmitter connects to the brain. The one at the base of the skull connects to the brain as well and can connect to your bio amp. The one in the forearm connects to your omni tool."

"Ok and…"

"There's another piece to the puzzle. This project wasn't supposed to be released for another decade or so. I've been working on this for quite some time. It's going to be our new tech advancement. Where we can upload information into our minds in the blink of an eye. Retrieve information just as quickly. There are so many possibilities..." She walked through her office as she spoke, then turned "They took everything of high importance. The artifacts mom found are gone too." She turned to her sister and gave her a look then said, "These need to be found."

She nodded, "I'll give mom a call, and this will take top priority, I promise." She paused, "Thomas?"

Gwyn's eyes darted over at her "I…I don't know. Maybe…" She tapped at her keyboard then swiped at her screen then pointed "There!"

Anna smiled "You have separate cameras in your office.

Gwyn scoffed "Of course I do!"

Anna leaned in closer as her eyes squinted slightly and looked at a blank screen. "Ummm… what the fuck am I looking at there's nothing there."

She rolled her eyes "Yes, there is. You're not looking hard enough." She tapped at her keyboard to display infrared "How about now?"

"Ahh ok." She glanced at her sister, "Impressive." She looked back at the screen "There's at least ten, but four of them took a B-line for your office, and not one of them is skinny and lanky like Thomas." Anna pointed at the screen, "This tall one here seems to be in charge." She looked at her sister "I need a list of everyone that would know about these, and I need a list of what was taken. Asterisk the ones that are highly important and want back."

"Well, that would be only the crew with top security clearance." She said as she tapped at her omni tool. "There I sent you the list of the crew." She grit her teeth "Everything is of importance, Anna."

"I understand that Gwyn but you have to know that you may not get any of these items back."

She flared her nostrils. "I need to talk to mom," she said then turned and tapped at her omni tool.

"Gwyn, I'm the Spectre here NOT mom. If you want Spectre assistance, then that's me."

She snapped back "I want mom to handle this THAT's what I want!"

Anna rolled her eyes "Then why the hell did you call me then?"

She looked at her with teary eyes. "I want my stuff back, Anna. If those are in the wrong hand—"

"I know, ok." She placed a hand on her shoulder "I promise you I'll do what I can. Besides, mom has placed Sierra in my care."

She huffed, "Oh great, so I'm screwed."

"Have a little faith sister. Damn." She looked at her then shook her head slightly. "If it'll make you feel better then call mom, ok. Have her get a crew searching for your stuff."

-/

**T'Seius Corp 2298CE**

Anna walked into her sister's office and looked at the secretary looking back at her "Can I help you?" asked the Asari behind the desk.

Anna looked around at the extremely large split executive office with secluded offices on each side of the secretary's desk. "Yes, I'm Spectre Anna Shepard. I'm here to see my sister or Milizkia whoever is available."

The secretary clicked a few buttons then said: "Benezia your sister Anna is here to see you."

"Send her in. I've been expecting her." Replied Benezia

Anna smiled as she walked into her office and saw her sister come around her desk in an A-Line dress. "Damn look at you."

Benezia rolled her eyes, "Shut up! I wear this type of clothing all the time."

She smirked as she gave her a quick hug, "I said damn because you look like fuckin mom is what."

She huffed, "I do not!"

"Yes, you do Dr. Fucking T'Soni!"

"Whatever. Let's get down to business." Benezia said as she sat down in her chair

Anna sat down, "Ok. So, what's going on?"

Benezia tapped at a few buttons then pointed at the wall as a video displayed on it "That."

Anna turned and looked at the video, "What was taken?"

"All kinds of stuff. Processors, Weapons, and armor just to a name a few. They also took some prototypes we've been working on with Gwyn."

"Hmm... Gwyn's business was hit in 2290. They took several items and several prototypes she's been working on as well. They also took your artifacts."

Benezia grunted, "Why would they take those?"

Anna shrugged "No idea."

"They've hit several of our buildings. Attacking the T'Soni's and T'Seuis's is ballsy."

"Yea it is. Especially you and mom."

Benezia furrowed her brow markings. "Wait, T'Soni Analytics was hit?"

"Yep a few years back." Replied Anna

Benezia ran her hand over her mouth "How? Mom has EDI."

"Oh, they didn't attack T'Soni Analytics—"

"But you said..."

"I meant mom in general. No one can get passed EDI but her buildings and warehouses that EDI doesn't protect. EDI's main focus is T'Soni Analytic headquarters, the head of mom's business."

"Ahh... just as these people know not to come here directly." She curled her lip, "I'm becoming highly irate sister. If I catch these fuckers, they're dead!"

"I can see that. Mom was furious as well." She looked at her sister then slammed her hand on the desk and growled out, "No one steals from me and not at this magnitude! Find them before I do!"

Benezia laughed at her sister, mocking their mother "Oooo.. sounds like her." She leaned back in her chair as she steepled her fingers "What's dad say about all this?"

"Ignorant. That's what he said."

She nodded, "That's true. Where is he?"

She leaned forward. "He's been busy. The council has him looking into the escalating gang situation on Alcazar. We're constantly having to go there or handle other mercenary issues elsewhere; it's becoming... tiresome."

Benezia nodded, "Everything we do for these people, and this is what they do. They fucking steal from us! Unbelievable!"

"I'm pretty sure it's not anyone from Thessia. They wouldn't dare, and if they did, mom would cut them off in a heartbeat. Same goes for Illium." She looked at the video "Did you get anything?"

She huffed, "No, they're using cloaking devices. Obviously, they're highly trained."

"Obviously!" She looked at her sister "Do you think this has something to do with Alcazar?"

Benezia shrugged as she shook her head, "I don't know. Maybe."

"How about Omega or Aria?" asked Anna

"No way! Aria wouldn't dare."

"How do you know?"

"She wouldn't steal from her own daughter's. She wouldn't betray them like that. Mom possibly but not Mili or Lena. Lena being a partner with Gwyn."

"Hmm... ok. Well, I'll tell you what I told Gwyn and mom. I'll do what I can, and I can't guarantee that you'll get your product back. As of right now, we have absolutely dick on who this is."

Benezia smirked as she rose "I'll tell you this. If I find out who this is or whatever gang they're affiliated with, then there will be dead bodies and I will leave them for you to find."

"Do you tell me this now, so I turn a blind eye?"

"No, I'm telling you this because if this continues, then there will be a reckoning."

She let out a long breath as she rose. "Sister just let me do my fucking job and don't let me catch you out there doing stupid shit."

Benezia smiled then sat in her chair then turned her back to her "You have no idea of the type of shit I can do. Have a good day, Anna."

Anna looked at the back of her sister's chair then shook her head. "Yea... I'll keep you posted." She said as she turned and walked out.

—/

**Omega 2303CE**

A tall male stepped out of his ship and on to filth. The wretched smell hit his nose, and he just sniffed then took a drag from his small cylindrical pipe. He blew out the excess as his free hand ran through medium length hair. He sucked his teeth then a small stream of spit shot out on to the ground. He tapped his temple as a black mask covered his face then he turned when he heard a henchman speak to him, "Mr. Blackstone, Aria is waiting for you."

He nodded, "I know." Kol made his way into the Afterlife and up to Aria's Loft. He saw her sitting on her throne. "Aria?"

Aria looked him over slowly. He was a tall, rugged male with jet black hair that was split down the middle and his face was covered in a black mask. She glanced at the tattoo on his neck an O with a V midway through the middle as if it was being consumed. She looked at his eyes, and they had a shine to them and tidbits that glowed. She looked down the length of his body. He wore a dark brown leather jacket, a black shirt, jeans, and military boots. "Do you have what we agreed upon?"

He smiled, "I've always had what we agreed upon. Do you have the last of what I want?"

Aria stood slowly as she walked to her office. "These weren't easy to get."

He grunted as he followed her into her office. She turned to him, then said. "Take that shit off your face."

He let out a breath then touched his fingers to his temple. "Happy?" He said as his mask disappeared.

"Yes. Now about these items. I betrayed someone for these..."

He rolled his tiny cylindrical pipe between his index finger and his thumb then brought it to his lips. His eyes scrunched as he inhaled, and when he was done, he replied "I didn't make you do anything. You want what I have, and therefore you did and continued to do."

She curled her lip, "Continued to do? You said you wanted those handful of particular items."

He smiled, "That I did."

"Well, I got everything on your list and then some." She snapped her fingers "Where's my payment?"

He walked over to the box and lifted the lid "Excellent work." He reached in his pocket and held up a small vial between his fingers then tossed it to her "Your payment."

She caught it in her hand then looked at the tiny vial of red liquid then said: "How do I know you're not fucking me over?"

He smirked. "Oh come on Aria you can trust me. How many deals have we done over the years and you're worried about this one?"

She looked at the vial for a moment, then back at him. He laughed, "You don't trust me? Smart." He paused then said "Go ahead and test it for poison but what you want is in there. Once you have it… you always will."

She nodded, "The expectancy?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. I've heard it's different for everyone, every species, and every gender."

"Hmmm…" she smiled then snapped her fingers a few times. "And the rest of my payment?"

He tossed her a credit chit, "There's your money."

She glanced at it then said, "And the other part?"

He closed the lid on his container and turned to her "What? Here and now?"

She laughed, "No, later." She said as she looked him over.

He walked up to her, "Mmmm, how about now?

She kissed his lips as her hand ran down his chest "I'll get what's owed to me. One way or another and I'll let you know when it's been fulfilled."

He pinched his brows "Owed? Fulfilled? Our sex is for fun, not payment."

She laughed, "That it is but you owe me."

"For what? I paid you!" He hissed

She laughed "This vial and this chunk of credits doesn't even cover it!"

"Woah wait! We agreed upon this."

"And that changed when I found out who you had me steal these from." She walked around him, "You see, this could pose a serious problem for me."

He scoffed, "The Queen of Omega is afraid of the T'Soni's?"

"No, not afraid. No, that's not it. You see, she and I have an understanding. A... mutual agreement."

He ran his hand over his black beard, "And if I don't pay up."

"Then there will be hell for you." She sneered

He gave a quick sniffed then leaned into her "I know who your children are don't threaten me."

Her face dropped as she froze at his words. Then struck like a deadly snake and grabbed ahold of his manhood. "Don't you ever speak of my children to me or attempt to threaten me with them!"

He grunted as he looked at her, and plainly said: "Or what?"

"Or I will rip your fucking dick off then lodge it into your throat and watch you choke on it!" She seethed

He smiled then scratched his bread "Hmm... I like it, sounds sexy. Shall we have a go?"

She quickly pinched her brow markings, and before she could say anything, he broke her grip, then disappeared right in front of her after he murmured "Activate." Her body jerked when he came up behind her and restrained her. His arm wrapped around her neck like a vise. He brushed his face against her auxiliary cavity "I don't want to result to violence, but you give me no choice."

She jerked to try and break free, and he laughed, "Don't squirm, you'll only make it worse." He ran his tongue up a crevice in her neck, and his free hand slid down the front of her body "Mmmm you always taste so good."

"Get the fuck off me!" She snarled

He chuckled as he released her, then uncloaked himself. He sat at her chair and propped his feet on her desk. "No hard feelings, babe."

She rubbed at her neck, "Fucker!" She pointed to him "Don't call me babe. How many times have I told you that?" she walked over to her desk then slapped at his feet "Get the fuck out of

my chair!"

He ran his hands up her rear and pulled her closer. "Oh come on, don't be so testy."

She glared at him "How do you know who my children are?"

He kissed the valley of her breasts then the side of one as he arched a brow then dropped it. "You honestly don't know?" He said then looked up at her.

She looked down and gazed at him then ran her hands over her crest. "Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me! I thought you looked familiar."

He smirked, "I don't look like him."

She shook her head "No, you look like your damn mother. So, what the fuck is this? Hmm? You know I deal with them, and you know damn well that Liz is bonded to Benezia."

He stood, "You're the Queen of Omega. Why wouldn't I want an alliance with you besides they betrayed me."

Aria pinched her brow markings. "How did they betray you?"

"Miranda isn't dead." He clenched his teeth. "She's in a fucking cryo pod, and they lied to us about it."

She arched a brow marking "Interesting. Sarah was extremely upset about her death."

"She wasn't the only one. She betrayed us all, and they were never going to tell us."

"Hmm...So you take revenge against their companies?" asked Aria

"You could say that, yes." He looked at her "Your crews had nothing to do with your girl's companies. Only Liara and Miranda's companies."

She grunted "mmHmm..." She looked at him, "So, are we done here?"

"No, I want one more thing."

She shook her head. "No, I'm done with this! This is going to cause a war I don't want! Especially with Liz and Benezia."

A smile flashed on his face when he said, "Oh, I'm just rattling their cages. Keeps them on their toes."

"No, you're not rattling cages; you're playing with fire! I've seen—"

"Her power? Yes, I know all about her power."

Aria shook her head, "Not worried? Damn, you are arrogant."

He smiled, "Aria, I need you to help me take the remaining part of Alcazar. You see I reign half of it, but I want all of it."

"Why do you want it so badly?" She asked

He rumbled in laughter, "Why do you want Omega so badly? Hmm because you can that's why. You own this small quadrant of the galaxy, and I want that one."

She nodded, "Well, the difference is you're in Council territory, and I'm not. You're in constant observation with the new Citadel being close by."

"I can fix that."

"Ok...Well, I have an agreement with the gang affiliates here. They know I'm in charge, and they accept what I allow them to do, and they each have their own little section even though I have eyes and ears everywhere. Mercenaries have a safe haven here, and they know that. People are free to come and go. You should do the same." She paused "Since I now know who you really are then I have someone I trust that can help you and you can help each other to build and grow your crews."

He nodded, "Hmm... alright."

She glanced at him "What else are you not telling me?"

He bobbed his finger at her. "Well, ya see its the original Citadel that was created by the Reapers." He said then gave her a wicked smiled.

Aria pinched her brow markings quickly. "What have you found?"

Kol gave out a quick laugh "When I gain a particular territory. I'll let you know, but until then I will give you nothing. So, are you going to help me?"

She cocked her head at him "Yes... I'll have my girl give you a call."

He smiled. "Excellent then you will reap the rewards with me."

-/

**Armali, Thessia - T'Soni-Shepard's Residence - 2308CE**

Liara wiped the tears from her face as she walked into her office then flopped down into her chair. Her eldest was on her mind but so were so many other thoughts. She played with her bottom lip as her thoughts continued to race through her mind. She knew the word was spreading and that Benezia would get a whiff of it and when she did the inflictors would pay. Her thoughts came to a hault then changed over to a brief conversation she had with her husband about Cameron. "Yes, where have you been hiding." She cleared her throat as she began to search through her records "What are you up to?" She looked over at a picture of him and Shepard. He had about three inches on his father. Tall, handsome, muscular, athletic, charismatic, and the women loved him. He was perfect, just like his mother. She shook her head, "Almost perfect just that one problem his temper."

Liara tabbed, through her information "Where'd you go? Underground?" She paused on year 2286 last known location, Alcazar. "What the hell are you doing there?" She tabbed through the remaining documents "No other known locations?" She let out a breath "That's because you never left." She leaned into her chair as she steepled her fingers "Glyph? I want a list of all known gang leaders on Alcazar with photos. No, I want all top-tiered male members."

"Dr. T'Soni your list has been acquired." Responded the translucent orb.

Liara flipped through gang after gang and member after member until she came across someone. She pinched the photo and threw it onto her wall. She got up and stood before it. She overlooked Mili time and again. She wasn't going to do it again with Cameron. She stood there, looking at this man as she rested her hands on her hips. It was a tall male with black hair, but his face was covered with some sort of specialized ballistics mask. What caught her eye wasn't his height or his black hair but the two varren at his heels. She played a video of him in action with his varren. She clenched her fists as she heard familiar commands then paused it when she saw his face for a fraction of a second when his facial mask flickered "What the hell are you doing?" She turned when she heard her bondmate.

"Something Alex would have done..." Shepard looked at the man on the wall then at his wife "Anger, hate, betrayal and who knows what else has consumed him. The only difference between him and Alex is Alex didn't play well with others." He pointed to his son "Cam... he's a natural-born leader. A daredevil and a risk-taker. With his biotics, weaponry, and knowledge we've given him. He'll rise from the ashes and band together with others."

"Obsidian Void?"

Shepard nodded, "Yea... a rising gang."

"Shepard he's deadly—"

"I know Liara. He was among the best when it came to competitive shooting and tactical competition. Not to mention everything else we taught him." He smirked when he saw his dossier

Kol Blackstone. Aka Stone. Aka Gunner

Leader - Obsidian Void

Travels with hell hounds.

"Well, that name definitely suits him - Gunner." He let out a breath, "He would have been an excellent Spectre or Soldier, but instead he chose to be an adventure and now this shit."

Liara pinched her brow markings "Kol Blackstone... the hits on T'Soni Analytics?"

Shepard rose his hand, "The Void."

"The hits on Gwendolyn's company?"

Shepard rose his hand as he again pointed to the picture on the wall "The Void."

She grit her teeth several times, "and the hits on Miranda's Companies?"

He rose his hand, "The Void."

She let out a breath, "And the ones on T'Seuis Corp?"

"The Void..."

"The injuries to you and Annabelle...?"

He pinched his brows then sighed, "The Void."

"He's purposely attacking us?"

"Seems so..."

"Why did he do what he did to you and Anna?" she said as tears streamed down her face. She took a ragged breath "There was no reason for that."

He shook his head as he replied "I don't know why he hurt Anna. I know why he hurt me."

She shook her head as her hands covered her mouth then said "When this reaches—"

Shepard quickly said "Benezia... I know."

"Shepard it won't just be Benezia."

"I know Liara! It'll be both of them!"

Liara looked at him and said "She's already pissed, and the sisters have already been talking amongst themselves about the theft and now this! Shepard this is a problem. He will cause a war, and he will lose."

"I know that. You think I don't know that! He also has an alliance with Omega."

Her face dropped "What? Why wouldn't she tell us?"

"It's Aria fucking T'Loak. She does whatever the hell she wants. She doesn't owe us anything!"

"I suppose your right." She looked at the man on the wall then at her bondmate, "How does she not know or does she?"

"He doesn't look like me Liara, and he wears a mask. I didn't know until now." Replied Shepard

"Pffttt yes he does. He has your nose, your chin and definitely your mannerisms." She flicked her hand at the screen, "More so with his long hair and beard."

"No, he doesn't. Look at that dark ass hair; it's all her. I mean can it be any blacker? Shit, if Miranda was a male that's what she would look like." He paused as he looked at his son "He changed his eyes. I don't even know what the fuck that is. They have that strange glow similar to T.I.M, but ya know it's different."

Liara looked closer "He has tech in his eyes?"

"Something... implants or contact lenses but it's something..."

"Hmmm... upgrades?" Asked Liara

He nodded, "Yes, he's using Gwyn's tech...or something else."

Liara ran her hands over her crest as she let out a breath "Goddess Shepard. The stuff she was working on."

"I know, and he kicked our asses with it." He replied then let out a breath "There's something else…"

Liara's hands dropped to her thighs. "What more can there be?"

"Alcazar... there was a reason why he chose it."

She pinched her brow markings, then her head shot up "Reaper tech?"

Shepard nodded, "The council just realized they have a possible problem and why they continue to send us back in."

She gasped, "The Conduit! Ilos? What could be there?" She rose her finger as she quickly walked over to her desk and tapped at it "I thought they took it to the new Citadel." She mumbled "Noo...noo they wanted the new Citadel free of any Trojans." She pinched her brow markings "Why would they leave it there? Why wouldn't they lock it up?"

"It was locked away but on the Alcazar. He replied

She ran her hand over her mouth, "They forgot about it." She blinked several "How irresponsible can they be? Unbelievable!" She shook her head "Ok, I get the tech, but what does he want with the artifacts, the Conduit, or Ilos? What does he know?"

He shook his head, "I'm not sure, but you were interested in the artifacts, and he knew it was of value." He took a deep breath "Everything he does, he does just as Miranda would with precision and he's definitely not as he was when he was out partying. The way he thinks now is just like her. She was deadly, and so is he." He froze, "Sierra Bravo?"

Liara shook her head, "Only the first four know. Oh, and Mili."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

—/

**2310CE**

Sam looked around, then spoke softly, "Cam? What the hell are you doing? My mom has been poking at me for answers. She knows how close we were."

"And? What have you told her?"

She shook her head, "Nothing." She looked around, "Look, you need to stop whatever it is that you're doing."

"Good." He smirked, "They're pissed, huh?"

"Pissed doesn't even describe it. Benezia—"

"Pfffttt I'm not worried about Benezia."

"You should be. You know damn well what she's capable of and what she did two years ago was just a warning." Replied Sam

He waved her off "I have something for her." He sniffed, "A way to get rid of her."

Sam's face dropped "Get rid of her? Cam you touch her and Mili will go ape shit as well as everyone else. Not to mention Aria and my mother."

"I'm not going to hurt her." He Replied

"Oh, just like you didn't hurt Anna or Shepard? Did you really have to attack them so brutally?"

"Hey, they came to me, and I protected myself, my crew, and what is mine. If I wanted to kill her...them then I would have. Besides fuck that bitch! She never could stand me and why should I fucking care? Fuck him too!"

She sighed, "What are you going to do to Benezia?"

He smiled, "I'm going to just place her somewhere for the time being."

She pinched her brow markings. "What? How?"

He smiled broadly, "Oooh. Just wait and see. I will have her and Auntie right where I want them to be."

"Why are you doing this? This has nothing to do with them. It has everything to do with Miranda."

He clenched his jaw as he bared his teeth "They were never going to tell us!"

Sam looked down, "But you're acting out against my mother."

"So what! I pay you for insight."

"I know, and I don't want to do this anymore. You're having me betray my mother and my sisters as well."

He scoffed, "Your sisters? What are they to you? They were never around, but I was. Always!"

She lowered her head, "I know, but Nezzie was always there."

"We have a pact do we not?" He said quickly

She let out a breath, "What do you want me do?"

"Plant a seed then watch it grow." He said with a smile.

"What do you have?" She asked

He laughed softly "It's astronomical, and I found it. Not auntie and not anyone else but ME." He laughed again, "Oohh they're in for a treat. I have a few more things to do then I'll let you know." He paused for a moment "I need you to find out one more thing..."

"What's that?" Sam asked

"Where's my mother?"

Sam swallowed hard then hesitated "Cam..."

He smiled, "You already know."

"Yes, after you told me I asked my mother about it. She didn't deny it but told me where she was."

"And...?"

She shook her head, "Cam..."

He slammed his hand on his desk as he hissed, "Where is she?"

"I don't know! All I know is she's somewhere hidden. I haven't been there, and she didn't say where. Some secret facility... that's all I know."

He curled his lip "Fine. I'll find out where she is myself."

"Wait... what are you planning?"

"You'll see. I have to go," he said then his transmission ended

Sam flopped back in her chair as she shook her head slowly. "Fuck!"


	4. Justified

Shepard Stories III

**Ch 4: Justified**

**Alcazar – 2308CE**

Shepard's head jerked back repeatedly as his enemy's elbow came down on him time and again. The noise he made with every hit combined with the connection to his face _Sadoosh Sadoosh Sadoosh._ The hits came fast and hard. His enemy jumped as he pile drove what felt like a lead pipe into his face. He reared back again and hit him again. The hits came in swift, even for him. Shepard brought his hands up to block the remaining hits and pushed his enemy away, but he didn't stay away. Those spilt seconds of breaths helped minutely. This man was a beast; he could feel the rage within him with every attack he made.

He was being worn down from every punch, kick and blast from his biotics. As he tried to gather his breath, he looked up, and he was gone. Shepard wiped the blood from his face once he hid behind a column. He took several breaths as he looked around quickly. He knew he was done with him for a moment. His eyes shifted when he saw some of his crew struggling and attempting to crawl out of harm's way. At that moment, all he could think of was his daughter.

He knew his daughter could always hold her own. She was strong, resilient, and ambitious. She trained constantly, and he knew that she was damn good at what she did. Anna was a Spectre, and her mother's top agent. She brought in her targets because that's who she was and this gang wasn't going to fuck that up for her. Her mother asked her to do a job and by god was she going to do it. The one thing his daughter hated the most was being a failure of any sort, and she kept it to a bare minimum. Not only was she a Spectre and an agent but an excellent soldier that he trained her vigorously for. All the training he knew, he passed on to her. Not only did she train with him, but she also trained with Benezia. She knew she could never match her younger sister's abilities, but she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to learn from her.

Days before they left, he could hear his wife talking to her, "Anna, your mission is to bring these two men in. I want this account closed as others can't seem to do their damn job. They're currently on Alcazar, and its crawling with enemies, so watch your six."

Anna nodded, "Yes, ma'am. Consider it closed."

Liara smiled, "I know, and it's why I'm sending you." She pat her face gently then kissed her crest, "My best girl. Be careful, stay safe, and take a crew with you."

When Anna was on a mission as a Spectre, she wore her Spectre gear and did everything by the book. When she was on a mission for her mother, she went as her alias Vex the bounty hunter, and wore solid black gear. All rules were off the table when she was in bounty hunter mode, and she brought them in dead or alive.

Her facial markings where tech upgraded to an exclusive ability made for her by her sister Gwyn. She kept her original subtle markings, but she added red, more intense markings on her face and down her fringe. Her upgrade gave her the ability to switch between the two colors and designs. She loved the idea, and her sister implemented it just for her. It gave her the ability to be herself as a Spectre and Vex the bounty hunter.

Shepard never had to worry about his daughter because he knew she could take care of herself. Today was different... she came to Alcazar for two men, and as usual, she captured her targets, but she came into some major resistance when the Obsidian Void stepped in.

He, on the other hand, went to Alcazar for a Spectre mission, and what he walked into was not expected. He could usually go in there and look around certain areas without bother but not this time. This time it was the Obsidian Void. His mission wasn't even Kol Blackstone, but here came this towering man toward him. He saw him reach into his side compartment and pull out this small item, then bit into, and it made a noise almost like a hissing sound. The sound was only there for a brief second as he inhaled deeply then he discarded it. _Hmm… some type of drug? Or enhancement?_

"Spectre Shepard what are you doing in my territory...?" asked Kol

Shepard smirked, "I thought the Alcazar was free for people to come and go. Is it not?"

"It is, but that's not what I asked." Replied Kol

"I'm just looking around." Said Shepard

"For?"

He shrugged, "Nothing, in particular, just….looking."

"I know you're here looking for something in particular. What is it? Maybe I can help you, then you can leave."

Shepard nodded, "Maybe or maybe I'm here to just visit my residence in the lower wards."

Kol glared at him then scoffed, "Residence? You don't have a residence here."

"On the contrary, I have an apartment near the Silversun Strip. A luxury apartment, to be exact. It was given to me by a good friend of mine." He placed his fingers on his chin then rub it a few times. "Actually, now that I think about it. I own several places on the Alcazar."

"Do you now, and what places are those?"

"Oh, too many to count." He looked around then said, "You know how long the length of an Alcazar's arm is?"

"No, and what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, I own about that much of the Alcazar. So, I have every right to be here. You know to keep an eye on my property."

Kol arched a brow then said, "Well, you don't own it anymore."

Shepard pinched his eyebrows, "No? Strange. I was never paid to not own it anymore, and I know I didn't give it away."

"Doesn't matter because everything in my territory is mine."

"Regardless of what you THINK is yours in all actuality, it's still mine." Shepard took a few steps then said: "So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to my apartment."

"I don't think you understand. This is no longer the Citadel or under Council rule. What I say goes here. I let the people in my territory go on about their daily lives for a minimal fee, and therefore we have an understanding. As for everyone else, they can also come and go as they please but are warned to not fuck with my shit, or there will be consequences."

A smile flashed on his face, then he said, "I see you're trying to take tips from Aria T'Loak. Now she has rule over Omega and does as she pleases." He rose his finger "Here's the difference though you're in Council Territory, and she is not."

He nodded then said, "And that makes a difference?"

Shepard gave a small chuckle. "It does, but it doesn't. Aria and I have an understanding, but you see, I'm a Spectre. A duty entrusted to me by the galactic council and this entire galaxy is MY jurisdiction." He pointed to his Spectre Shield, "This says so, and as a Spectre I will do whatever is necessary to complete a mission."

Kol sucked his teeth as he nodded. Shepard looked at Kol and stared into his glowing eyes as he couldn't see his face beyond the ballistic mask. Shepard took a side step to move past him, but a hand came out and stopped him. Shepard let out a breath, then "There a problem?"

"Yes, you're the problem. You continue to show up here, and it's making people…my people uneasy. So, I ask you again, what are you looking for?"

"As I said before, I'm just looking around, and I have every right to be here. As you stated before, everyone is free to come and go. So, I've come and gone, and I'll continue to come and go."

Kol curled his lip. "You're trying my patience, Shepard."

"You're trying mine for interfering in what I need to do." Rebutted Shepard

"And what is that. Hmm? What do you need to do here?"

Shepard quickly snapped back"Whatever I fucking what! Now get the hell out of my face."

—/

Kol's shots were quick, and he didn't even see him pull his gun. _Bam bam bam._ Three shots impacted his chest plate. He blinked several times at the swiftness, then his body jerked when a biotic blast hit him then two more shots _bam bam_ then a biotic blast and his Kinetic barrier was gone. Everything happened so fast, and his crew was now scattered to get out of harm's way as Kol's gang came out of know where. The milliseconds he took to look around at his crew were the milliseconds he could have used for himself.

Kol's elbow came down first with several hits to the face then a hand chop to the face. Right right, right left, then a knee jab to the sternum. He was quick like a predator going in for a swift kill. Then he would hover for a response, and when you did respond, his reach would out beat yours. This was just him using his own body as a weapon. Kol became deadly when he grabbed his long knife from his leg or his gun. His knife blade had to be at least ten inches long, and by the size of the handle and sheath it was thick with one side possibly being serrated. At that length it could penetrate his armor and his body. Any knife could be deadly, but that knife could puncture straight through your body and tear through your skin and any body part within. He knew exactly the type of damage that knife could do.

Shepard grabbed on to his enemy's thigh, but it didn't phase him. His elbow immediately came down swiftly on to the back of his neck and head. _Shadooosh Shadoosh Shadoosh._ Shepard grunted as he rebounded and biotically punched the enemy's side. Suddenly Shepard got a pain in his face as his body jerked up and backward. Then _bam_ a blow to his sternum then to the side of his face. The blows we're so fast he didn't even know what was hitting him anymore. Then he felt it his elbow hit his temple, and it drug down his face swiftly, and it felt like he cut him with a knife, but he didn't. He could feel the blood oozing from his face as he continuously hit him and cut open his face.

Kol gave him time for his barrier to reload just so he could deplete it then hit him again. This next time the lights went out in the area, and he still moved swiftly like a glimpse of a shadow in the darkness. He saw the soft glow to his eyes like the shine of a cat's when the light hits them in the dark. That's all he saw were those eyes as he was hitting him over and over again. Every powerful blow went right through his light armor, and he could feel the contact on his body and internal organs. His enemy had every opportunity to kill him, and he didn't. Why? Because he didn't want to kill him. He wanted to hurt him again and again. There was nothing he did to this towering man that slowed him down. When he finally got a chance to truly collect himself the man was gone and didn't return; then several moments later the lights came back on. He breathed heavily as he crawled over to a column out of harm's way as he could still hear gunshots then they stopped. He groaned as he sat up and leaned against the column "Ugh, What the fuck just happened." He had never been caught off guard this badly before. Kol moved so quick, almost unhuman like. He jerked when he saw a hand in his peripheral and quickly grabbed his weapon.

"Sir? It's me!" said Kirre quickly.

"Shit Kay! I could have fucking killed you!"

"I'm sorry, sir. Are you ok?"

"Huh?" He said as he shook his head, "Umm yea. I think so."

She furrowed her forehead, "You don't look it." She reached for her side leg compartment. "Let me apply some medi-gel."

He shook his head, "I'll be fine." Shepard touched Kirre's shoulder as he looked her over, "Your hurt?"

She touched her bloody side. "I've got medi-gel on it. I'll be fine. I was more concerned about you, but I couldn't get to you." She pinched her brow markings, "Sir, he did one over on you."

"nMm That he did." He could feel the blood still oozing out of his nose and face. His eyes squinted as he pinched his nose "Ugh fuck. I think he broke my fucking nose." Shepard looked around, then said, "Anna? Did she completed her assignment?"

"They had them secured and were escorting them back to the ship." She said

"But?"

She let out a breath " Just as us, they came in contact with the Void. The last I heard Anna told her crew to get them on the ship while she held them off."

He grunted, "Damn it!" He groaned as he stood, "Where is she? Did she make it to the docking bay?"

"I'm not sure, sir."

As much as it pained him to run, he did anyway toward the closest elevator and said: "Where is she?"

Kirre shook her head, and before she could speak, he stopped and grabbed her arms "Where the fuck is she? Next time you assist her NOT me!"

"I can't do that, sir, my priority is you. You know how Liara is!" Replied Kirre

He spit out a glob of blood then quickly hit his comm unit for his daughter's personal channel, "Bella?" He waited for an answer and didn't receive one. He changed it to their open channel, "Someone fucking tell me where Anna is, now!"

He instantly heard Naida, Anna's shadow on the comm, "Sir, we're over near the docking bay. We need assistance, sir. Anna has taken a severe beating."

He scrunched his brows as he thought _How? How'd he get there so quick?_ He picked up the pace, and when he made it to the elevator, he jammed his fingers into the down arrow button. He watched as the elevator moved slowly to him then he hit the door as he yelled "Come on!" As he waited he spoke into his comm unit "Damn it, Naida, you're supposed to protect her."

"I tried, sir. I'm badly injured myself, sir. There were too many of them."

He flared his nostrils, "Fuck!" He hit his comm unit again "How bad is it? Is she conscious? What?"

"She's getting some medical attention now. It's bad, sir, and we're trying to keep her awake."

"How bad is bad, Naida? Mortal - What?" He closed his eyes as he felt his air escape him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and a soft voice. "She'll pull through." He nodded as he took several breaths.

"If it wasn't for medi-gel to plug the wounds, then it could be mortal, yes. She was stabbed several times, beaten, there could be a possible cranial fracture…" She took a ragged breath then sobbed as she said, "...They took her hand, sir."

His face fell at her last words. "I'm sorry, did you say cranial fracture and that they took her hand?"

"Yes, the group said it was a warning."

He pinched his brows as pain trickled through his heart, then he cleared his throat "Group? It wasn't just a man in a ballistics mask?"

"There was a group in the beginning then just recently there was that guy you just described. Shepard, he moved like the wind and caught her completely off guard. He beat her, and he stabbed her several times. He suddenly just stopped and just looked at her for a long moment then left. A crew came right behind him and cut her hand off. Nothing we did stopped him, nothing. I shot at the tall one numerous times, and nothing got through his barrier."

He took a few breaths then replied, "Ok, your priority is to get her out of harm's way, on the ship, and back to HQ ASAP! We're on our way to you now if you need back up. If not then do not wait for me; go now!"

"Yes, sir!" Relied Naida

"I will call Liara and bring her up to speed on the situation. I will tell her to have them prep the medical facility. They will be ready for you. Your team better do whatever is necessary to keep her alive until you get her to Liara. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir. I copy!"

His eyes began to tear up at his daughter, being severely wounded. He knew she was fierce, and that type of defeat was not like her. He thought of what happened to him, and he's never been beaten down this badly since the war.

Shepard let out a long breath as he boarded his ship and made his way to his quarters. He sat on his bed for a moment then tapped on his Omni tool to call his wife. His wife instantly reacted to his appearance, "Goddess Jon, are you alright? What happened?"

He grunted, "I'll be ok. We ran into some serious resistance on Alcazar."

Liara blinked rapidly then quickly said, "And Anna? Where's Anna?"

He scrunched his face, "She's not well. Umm… I haven't seen her, but they said it was severe. I need you to have a crew prep the medical facility."

Her eyes flashed then she immediately replied, "You haven't seen her! You didn't check on her before you departed!"

"No, I was further within Alcazar, and she was near the docking bay. I told Naida to patch her up and to get back to HQ."

Liara let out a breath as she nodded then softly said, "Shepard..."

"She's tough, Lia she'll be fine." He scrunched his face as he placed the back of his hand on his lips, and tears streamed down his face "She may have a fractured cranial and ummm…they took her hand."

She furrowed her brow markings as tears filled her eyes."What..."

He sniffed as he ran his fingers over his lips then said, "Call Ry and the best medical crew to get her fixed up. I don't care how much it will cost to get her hand regenerated, but she will not have a prosthetic limb. You do whatever it takes."

Liara closed her eyes as she nodded. She took a ragged as she wept. He looked at her then softly said, "I know, babe. You'll be with her soon."

She sniffed as she blinked the tears from her eyes. "Her fall will spread amongst the girls."

"Most of us took injuries today. Now with the hail of medical, the talk has already begun."

Liara looked down, then her eyes popped back up, and before she could speak, he did, "I know, and she will be furious. I will speak with Benezia after I evaluate Anna's damage." He knew his wife was hurting from their daughter being injured but also knew she was boiling inside and wanted justice for this.

"Lia, his minimal weapons fire blew right through our kinetic barrier."

Liara gasped. "What? Our equipment is the best out there! It should withstand a multitude of weapons fire."

Shepard looked down at his own armor as he shook his head "Well, let me rephrase that. Whatever hit Anna and I blew through our barrier, the other gang member's weapons were normal. We definitely need to talk about an upgrade."

"Goddess Jon."

"I know it was unexpected and threw me completely off guard, and I'm sure it did the same for Anna."

She nodded, "I'll speak with Gwyn about modifications." Her eyes scanned her walls as she looked at many of the pictures of her children and family that were hung throughout her house. Her eyes fell on Anna for a moment then ventured over to Miranda then Cameron. "Have you spoken to Cameron at all?"

He scrunched his brows. "No, I have no way of getting ahold of him. He's obviously holding a grudge over something we had no control over. He should just be pissed at his mother, not us. Why do you ask?"

"True. I've poked around some."

"I remember, but that's was several years ago."

"Yes, and it brought me to a dead-end, but I asked all the girls about him. None of the older girls know anything, and I expected that and over the years the same answer. When I asked the younger girls, they didn't know anything either, and that was truthful except for two girls. Their story seems to fluctuate as do emotions."

Shepard cocked a brow. "Hmm, let me guess, Sam and Jess or Sam and Sarah or Sam and Selova?

"mmhmm. Sam and Jess. The other two are not even on my radar. I expected Sam because those two have always been close, having grown up together, but Jess was unexpected."

He gave a quick side nod. "Sam makes sense, but Jess? I mean, I know all five talk and hang out, but I...I guess I just don't know."

She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know either. Jess, Sel and Sarah's shadows aren't from our crew but from Tevos's. So, I don't have constant feedback on what's going on with them, but the info I get from Sam's shadow Nori is uncertain, and that raises a red flag for me."

"Hmmm... So Sam knows something and not telling us?"

"Possibly but again as close siblings, I'd expect Cam to turn to her for whatever. If they're talking then that's good, and he's not laying in a gutter somewhere. What bothers me is her lying to me about it and why would she do that?"

"Because he asked her not to, that's why."

She gave a quick side nod, "True, but other than that Sam goes on about her daily routine." She rose her finger "Now, several years ago I put out feelers on Jess."

"And?"

"Well, after Nez and Mil got bonded, she didn't come around anymore, which was strange, but I didn't really think anything of it. I figured she was just Jess being Jess out partying, and like I said, I didn't think anything of it until a few years ago. So, get this she's fallen off the grid as well. The last twenty years, there's nothing on her. She just up and vanished, and she normally leaves a trail." She twitched her fingers "Well, she keeps in contact with Mili occasionally according to Gen, but other than that, there's nothing."

Shepard scrunched his brows. "Hmmm...because that would raise a flag with Mil if she didn't."

"My thoughts exactly. The only thing that comes to mind is she's doing something with Aria."

He shook his head, "Damn it. She's brought her into her world?"

Liara shrugged, "I'm going to assume so. Jess doesn't just fall off the grid she makes too much noise. With her constant traveling and splurging, then for it to suddenly stop? No way something is up." She rose a finger "Here's what bothers me. After Jess fell off the grid all this theft with our businesses have happened."

"Do I need to call Aria?" asked Shepard

"You can if you want, but I doubt she'll tell you anything, and there's no proof." Replied Liara.

"Hmm. I don't think Aria would be that stupid to act against us. There has to be more to this."

Liara gave a lopsided grin then said: "Coincidence I guess…"

"So, besides Jess, do you have a team out looking for Cam?"

She shook her head "No, I figured he was just out partying and blowing his money. He wouldn't get mixed up with Aria's world. Jess, I understand but not Cam." She paused, "Do I need to have a crew look for him? Do you think?"

Shepard pinched his lips off to the side, "Your right, he wouldn't go down that road, but I wouldn't mind knowing where he was at least."

She nodded, "Me too. I would definitely feel better. Maybe I'll do a little digging to see what he's been up to."

"Ok." He pointed to his nose, "Let me let you go so I can get this fixed before it heals this way."

She scrunched her face "Ewww. Yes, go get patched up. I love you."

He smiled, "Love you too."

—/

Kol sniffed as he slowly walked back to his quarters. He stared at his door for a long moment, then waved his hand over it, walked through then heard the door _swoosh_ closed behind him. He slowly removed his blood splashed armor then dropped the pieces near his armor locker. He stood there in his base layer looking at his hands trying to let his mind contemplate what just happened. He turned his head slightly when he heard a woman's voice come from down the hall, "How'd it go?"

He shook his head as he placed a hand on his locker and hung his head. He could hear her walking closer then she pressed her breasts and body against his back. Her hands drifted down his sides then around to his stomach, "What happened?" She said softly.

He swallowed hard, "I think… I killed her."

She kissed his back, then said, "Killed who? Who are you talking about?"

He blinked several times, then replied, "Vex."

He felt her stiffen, then she stepped away from him as she said, "Did you say Vex? As in Vex the Bounty Hunter? As in Anna fucking T'Soni!"

He nodded as he turned, then walked over to the couch and sat down. He leaned forward then ran his hands through his hair "I don't know what came over me. I couldn't stop, and she wouldn't stop, then this surge of anger spilled over me, and I just stabbed her..." He looked up at her and could see the shock all over her face as she gripped her crest.

"Geezus Christ Cam! You fucking killed Anna?"

He sat back, and his hands jerk forward as he replied, "I know! Ok, I fucking know!"

She pinched her brow markings then pointed at him as her words spewed out "You couldn't just fucking leave them alone. You had to intervene. We already have what he's looking for and who gives a shit about two fucking wanted men? This is going to fuck up this whole operation!"

He blinked a few times then closed them for a moment then said: "I beat him down as well."

Her face dropped as she looked him over then ran her hands over her crest "Are you fucking kidding me? Did you kill our father too? Does this justify what your mother did? Hmm?"

He looked down, "No...only, she can justify it." He looked up at her "I will tell you this, these mods and augmentations on the armor work. I was too fast for both of them, and their crew couldn't penetrate the barrier."

Jess nodded, "I don't want them dead, Cam, and neither do you. All you did was bring more attention to us. Benezia will come here...possibly Mili and maybe even Liara." She let out a breath, "I don't want a war with my sister or the T'Soni's. We'll fucking lose...even with the equipment we have."

He blinked a few times before he responded: "I know, but Liara won't fight me or us."

Jess responded quickly, "Don't you dare underestimate her. Her powers have grown, and she can be vicious. I've heard the stories. No one attacks her family and gets away with it, you know this."

He scoffed, "I've heard the fucking stories too." He pointed at himself, "I'm both her lover's little boy; she won't hurt me. I don't know what Shepard would do, but I know my mother and she would leave her."

Jess's brow makings raised, "And that's what you're banking on?" She shook her head "That's just stupid! If you killed Anna, then she will seek out vengeance. If you would have killed Shepard she would definitely want revenge regardless of Miranda. Let's not forget Miranda is still locked away, and she didn't release her. Why is that?"

He ran his hand over his dark beard "I'm not sure, but I need to find out where she is."

"Fuck your mother, and who cares where she is!"

He curled his lip, "I want to know!"

"We need to focus on this situation you put us in." She demanded

He sniffed, "Benezia won't come."

She rolled her eyes. "Christ, you honestly know nothing about them, do you! I know my fucking sister and Nezzie! I spent plenty of time with them and Anna. Besides Mil, Anna is her best friend, and she will want this justified. She will come, and my sister will follow if need be." She looked around with her hands raised. "They will bring this whole fucking place down..." She snapped her fingers, "...just like that."

He scoffed, "They will eventually run out of energy."

"True, if and only if no one around has biotic energy or eezo. They can and will consume anything with eezo to replenish. She's smart enough to carry eezo replenishment tablets, Cam." She began to pace in front of him "Cam, my mother has told me what she's seen her do. Unheard of moves that have only been done by ancient golden rulers. Moves not even documented in the archives. She's seen her feed off other asari, and when they were wounded they healed each other and gave each other life. She can fucking teleport into someone and instantly liquefy their body. Who the fuck else knows what they can do. My mother told me if you were to ever fear anyone, then it would be them two." She looked at him and said "They can kill multiple people in a blink of an eye." She paused "Liara would be the third to fear." Her fingers popped open as she said each name "Benezia, Mil, and Liara in that fucking order. You could even add Shepard to that list if you piss him off enough. One of them is bad enough, but two or more?" She breathed out "Seconds...that's all we'll have." She pinched her brow markings "Just imagine a large military army of just justicars. That type of power is what we're dealing with here" she shook her head "The three of them don't even need weapons because they can form their own, and they cut through you like a hot blade through butter."

He rubbed his fingers over his lips as he scrunched his brows then let out a breath "I didn't mean to hurt her that badly. That wasn't my plan, but she doesn't let up."

Jess quickly responded, "When has Anna ever let up? Never!" She shook her head "That shit your taking doesn't help either. That drug is fucking with your mind because if you were normal, then you wouldn't have taken it as far as you did."

He sucked his teeth then groaned, "Yea Yea..."

"Don't fucking yea yea me. I need you mentally stable to complete this." She paused, "We're getting there, Cam. You have grown the Obsidian Void. You gained an alliance with Omega. I have taken the Eclipse. We together will rule the underworld."

A broad smiled swept across his face, "That we will. You took what your sister didn't want."

She scoffed, "My mother wanted her to take them twenty years ago when they were vulnerable and weak, and they have been for decades. Mil refused because she wanted nothing to do with Camilla or the Eclipse, and besides she was...is too busy with T'Seius business. My sister has her own empire, and my mother led me to this one. She's told me to wait for years then when she found out the Eclipse wanted a new leader then she came to me with the opportunity. She said it was the perfect opportunity for her and I to work together. Unlike my sister I earned my tier-two initiation tattoo, then from there I moved up in ranks just as she did. Twenty years I've given to the Eclipse, and when the time was right, I struck, and their leader fell." She smiled as she rose her hands "Now, Serey Lotora leads the Eclipse."

He smiled at her, "That you do. We've been off the grid for years. Do you think Liara knows?"

"I don't think so because if she did, then I would have heard from my sister about it by now. She didn't want this life for me, but I did, always have. If Liara knew, then we would have already been tracked down. As careless as we were in our early years they probably assume we're just partying away somewhere."

"If she digs hard enough, then she'll find out. These masks we wear won't hide us forever."

She leaned into him and ran a finger down his face "Yours is manly and hides your entire face. Mine is more dashing… feminine…an intricated lace that only covers my face partially. My wicked contact lens throws off the rest of my features. But like you said, if she digs hard enough then she'll find out. They found my sister under her hideous disguise."

He nodded as he looked her over. "Mmmm, you are a sexy Madame Serey Lotora."

A smile crept across her face as she walked over to him, straddled his legs, and placed her bare ass on him. She slid her hand down his pants and rubbed him "nMmm brother."

He grunted, then she spoke as she stroked him, "What's the matter? Hmm, don't like fucking your sister?"

He groaned, "Don't say that! It doesn't work like that, and you know it."

She laughed then kissed his lips, "I know." She leaned into his ear and whispered: "Do you fuck Sam as well? Hmm What about Sel or Sarah?"

He jerked back, "No!"

She felt him already harden, then she pulled him out and slid him inside her. She smiled as he moaned "nMmm." She rocked her hips into him then kissed his lips "nMmm, You like that?"

He untied her robe and slid his hands over her light purple ass then pulled her in closer "nMmm, yes, fuck." His hand drift up her body then cupped one of her bouncing breasts and sucked on her hard nipple. Besides Aria she was one of only a handful other asari he'd ever had sex with. He had sex with several humans, and they just didn't compare to asari pussy. Jeserie was different, and he knew it was because they spent time together over many years. He leaned his head back as he moaned "mMmm damn babe your gripping the hell out of my dick."

She moaned as she grabbed on to the back of the couch and rocked into him harder "mMmm."

His breaths were becoming heavy "nMmm, yes, fuck that dick..." he murmured as he ran his hands up her back and pulled her in for a kiss.

She sucked on his tongue then his bottom lip. She looked into his eyes and said: "Do you fuck my mother?"

He slapped her ass then squeezed it. "Mmmm, I have fucked your mother several times."

Her words were breathy, "Yea? And how does my pussy feel compared to that old bitch?"

He closed his eyes at her constant rocking against him. He licked his lips to wet them as his breaths were drying them out. He pulled her into him faster, "mMmmm, fuck."

She moaned in his ear then sucked on his ear, lobe, "nMmm answer me..."

He gripped on to her ass as he pushed into her, "MMmm, ummm your mother is... mmmm fuck... very very experienced."

Jeserie stopped and looked at him "What the hell does that mean? Do you enjoy fucking my mother over me?"

He groaned then said, "Come on, baby don't stop."

She sat still and just looked at him "Ah, uh don't baby me. Answer me."

He gave a quick brow raise and cocked his head slightly. She huffed and slapped at his chest, then stood, "Fuck you, Cam!"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, "Oh, come on! She's Aria fucking T'Loak, and your mother is kinky as fuck."

She turned and looked at him as she placed her hands on her hips and blinked hard, then said, "So..."

His hand drifted up her legs then under her robe. "You know I enjoy our sex and wouldn't come back for more if I didn't."

She crossed her arms as she rolled her eyes, "MHmmm..."

His eyes scanned over her lovely purple body from her luscious lips to her perky breasts down to her tasty pussy. "Come here..." he said seductively

She stepped closer to him and hovered over him, then placed a hand on the couch "Hmmm?"

"I had you long before her."

She smirked as she looked into his eyes then trailed her finger down his face, "I know, and I was your first."

He smiled as he leaned up and kissed her, "mmhmm, and I was yours. You felt good then, and still, do."

She giggled "We were some very horny youngins. I still remember that night and every time after when I came to visit. My erogenous zones were nowhere near developed, but the physical felt so fucking good."

He stared into her eyes as she ran her fingers through his hair as she continued to speak, "There have been many over the years, but ours has been burned into my mind."

"I know." He murmured as he pulled her in for a kiss. Their kiss lingered as his fingers slid up her inner thigh and made their way to her wet sex. He rubbed his fingers up and down her, then rolled his fingers around her clit.

She moaned softly, "nMmm. Damn it, you turn me on."

He pulled her closer and gently said: "Come here."

Her knees pushed into the couch cushions as she straddled his legs then slid him back in her "nMmm."

He leaned in closer and kissed her neck as his hands caressed her bottom. "Your pussy is so fucking good."

She laughed, "So fucking good huh?"

He gave a quick laugh, "mHmm."

She kissed him, "You just want me to finish fucking you."

He chuckled. "Maybe..." his words trailed off as her rocking picked up. He leaned his head back as she finished him off. He squeezed her ass firmly as he released into her "Aaagghh..." His body jerked softly as she continued until he felt her. "mMmm" He could feel her heart beating rapidly and her warm breath on his neck. She leaned back then hovered over his face then kissed his lips. As they kissed his hand ran up the length of her back, and he felt her give off a small shiver. He smiled as their kiss broke.

She smiled at him "What? You know when you do it soft like that, it gives me a chill."

He nodded then said, "Let's talk about Nez. What are your thoughts on controlling her?"

"There's no controlling Nezzie, period."

He gave her a lopsided grin, "You know what I mean."

"Well, if she comes here — which she will. You can't fight against her because any harm done to her will cause an all-out war. We'll need to convince her of a truce, then we will proceed with our findings."

He leaned her back as he kissed down her chest. "Truce, huh?"

"Mmhmm..."

"Then what?" He mumbled as he sucked on her nipples.

"nMmmm If she continues to be a problem, then we'll just have to... nMmm... place her somewhere."

He stopped and looked up at her "Place her somewhere? Where?"

She scoffed, "Anywhere."

"But won't your sister flip out?"

She let out a breath and gave him a lopsided grin "It's not like we're going to leave her there."

He gave a quick side nod, "True. How do we go about that?" He said then kissed down the valley of her breasts.

"We use Sammie to plant the seed with Liara, and she will do the rest."

He nodded, "We need to plan this just right, and I'll need to give Sam the exact way to do this or she will fuck it up."

Jess pinched her lips off to the side as she thought, "Just have her place the information on her desk at the University. If not Liara, then someone will be bound to see it, then they will call Liara on it. They will need Liara for funding. This project will keep them occupied for years." She rose a finger "Or we can entice Nez with it for a truce. To provide her with known information about a particular site."

A smile crept across his face. "This is good. I like it."

—/

Four days later…

He was breathing heavily, and she was moaning as he moved in and out of her. "nMmm damn, you always feel good." His hand drifted down her thigh then slapped her ass.

She moaned, then breathlessly said, "Nmm yess."

He leaned back and watched her breasts bounce as he fucked her. He smiled, then leaned down and placed his mouth on her nipple. He closed his eyes for a brief moment as he took in her sounds of pleasure. Her breaths, her moans, and noises she made during sex. The feel of her hands on his body as they drifted down his back, through his hair, down his sides or over his rear. The feel of her lips and tongue on his. How she gently kissed then sucked in his tongue or lip. The look on her face when he entered her time and again. Her movements were smooth as she moved with him as she angled her hips and legs just for him. This was one woman he knew he could always count on. His thoughts broke when his side monitor beeped. He looked over at someone calling from the docking bay. His brows pinched but ignored it as he continued on with Jeserie. The unit beeped again, and he groaned as he disabled video and replied, "What?"

"Sir, there's a Dr. Benezia—"

He immediately responded, "Do NOT let her dock!"

"Yes, sir, but she gave me an ultimatum. That I could let her dock and live or die."

"She can't kill you if you don't let her dock!"

"I'm sorry, sir…"

He clamped his eyes tight then replied, "You're a damn fool!" he yelled, then ended the call. He looked at Jess then quickly got off her "Fuck!" They both scrambled around the room for their clothes, armor, and weapons.

"Cam, we need to head straight for the Conduit!"

He shook his head "No, I will not flee!

She let out a breath, "Cam, she will fucking kill you!"

He tapped at his Omni tool and brought up the cameras in the docking bay. He watched as Benezia stepped out first, then Mili then Liara and several of their shadows. Jess pulled at his arm "Fuck, Cam, they all came. This is going to be a blood bath, and I was afraid of this."

He pinched his brows as he stared at the screen. They walked calmly in a V formation, and Benezia was leading. "I thought you said Anna didn't die."

Jess quickly put on her pants. "She didn't die, Cam. You inflicted harm against Shepard and Anna. They're here to let you know that you don't fuck with them. I know I said truce, but not today. Let's just go!"

-/

They made their way into the Presidium and into the open. Benezia stepped away from her group, and her entire body vibrated in red as she yelled, "I'm looking for the Obsidian Void and Kol Blackstone!" The red burned so fiercely as if a match stick was just struck. She looked around as several gang members flooded into the area. She looked back at her bondmate, and she just nodded at her then she roared, "I give you two minutes to answer me, then I start killing people!" Her head turned slowly when she heard several members begin to laugh.

"A handful of asari and were supposed to feel threatened? We are the Void!" A man said loudly

Benezia smirked, "Oh, I'd feel threatened if I were you. Scared even, and I would suggest your men stand down." She scanned the area and saw every asari in the Presidium, and a few others turn and leave quickly. "I see some of you are smart, and others don't know who I am." She waved her hand at her crew behind her "Or who they are."

"You're right; we don't give a fuck who you are, but you have arrived on the devil's playground."

Benezia's face twitched, and her nostrils flared when the men began to whistle at them and catcall them. "If this is what you call the devil's playground, then I'm right at home!" She hissed, then a spear instantly appeared in her hand, and she hurled it into the first man she saw. Then her hands jerked forward repeatedly as she sent out a multitude of forward directional blasts. _Dooosh_ _Doosh Doosh Doosh Doosh_ was all that was heard. It was as if she was firing a plasmic weapon, and each seismic wave hit a man then another and another with every blast. The blast was so monumental that their bodies instantly flew backward. Their helmets and weapons flew from their bodies, and they lay still as if frozen in time. She smiled when their bodies just dropped to the ground, and blood spilled from every visible orifice."Shall we try this again? Now that I know you are the Void, I want Kol Blackstone to come forward."

"How about we just fucking kill you! There's only nine of you." He said then jerked his hand forward for the signal to shoot. Their barriers instantly went up, and she backed up until she was closer to her crew then a purple dome surrounded them all, and the rest released theirs. She looked at her bondmate then her mother and they both gave her a quick nod. Benezia stepped back out with her mother, and the moment they did, a red dome covered them, and a dark blue blaze began to form on the inside. Benezia looked around at the men shooting at them, then what came next were words that were laced with venom as they exited her mouth, "What you see before you is fucking death!" When she finished her last word Liara stepped forward and released a massive explosive wave into the front line of men as if they were hit with an after blast of a bomb. They both charged through, and around several men then came back to where they were standing. When they stopped moving, their long Asari swords disappeared within their hands, and the bodies they whipped around dropped to the ground. She looked around at the men who were standing guns ready looking around at each other. She rose her hand then snarled "We will continue to kill EVERYONE HERE until we get what we want!"

"Benezia and Liara T'Soni..." yelled out a man from above.

She looked up at a male in a ballistics mask. "That's Doctor, but yes, in the flesh! You and I have some matters to discuss."

He leaned on the railing as he gripped it "What matters would those be?"

"You know damn well what those matters are."

He sucked his teeth "No, I don't recall ever doing business with you."

She curled her lip as she looked up at him then at the men standing near him. Moments later, several gunshots went off as the men casually tilted their weapon to their own faces then pulled the trigger. "Shall we continue? Because I can do this all…fucking…day."

He wiped the blood off the side of his ballistic's mask and the side of his arm. "We have nothing to discuss."

"No? The evidence I have says we do!"

He ran his tongue swiftly over his lips. "Is that so? What evidence is that?"

"You stole numerous things from my family, and let's not forget the most recent attack."

"What attack is that?"

She bared her teeth "You try my patience!" In that instance, she disappeared and reappeared right next to him. Her sword illuminated in her hand and stuck her enemies down quickly but left him standing. She was breathing hard, and her hatred was glowing in her eyes. "I'm going to enjoy this!"

His hands quickly came up, "Wait, wait ok. I want a truce!" He pleaded as his back pressed against the railing.

She stepped closer to him as she spoke, "A truce? Why? Why would I give a piece of shit like you the benefit of the doubt?"

"I won't steal from you again." He looked around then at her "You've killed thirty or so of my men. I'd say we're even."

She laughed, "Even? You think this makes us even?" She shook her head, "We're far from even."

"Ok, then what can I do to rectify it?"

His body jerked as he grunted then looked down at a glowing object that was now jammed into his stomach. He took a quick breath as he looked up at her. She removed his mask and peered into his eyes as if she was going to freeze his soul. Her free hand clamped on to his prickly face as she seethed, "You beat down my father and my sister. A beating wasn't enough for you, so you proceeded to stab my sister repeatedly!" She bared her teeth then said "You cut off her fucking hand!" She took a deep breath "Now, I will take something from you!"

Blood dripped from his mouth as he trembled "Please... wait. I'm not..."

She could hear her mother yelling for her to stop, but she didn't. She squeezed his face and said, "I will take your life for what you did!" She quickly lifted her blade until it exited through his skull then pushed his body over the ledge. She looked over the side and watched as his body fell to the ground. She scanned the area and waited a brief moment for a reaction then her voice roared throughout the Presidium. "This is how I JUSTIFY it!" She pointed to the other men "This is MY warning! If I ever hear of the Obsidian Void making a move against my family again then I will return and kill the rest of you!" She seethed, then leaped over the railing and biotically slowed herself down before she reached the bottom. She looked at the men as they just stared at her then she said "Get the fuck out of my sight before I change my mind!"

She watched as the men scrambled as they dispersed throughout the Presidium. She pinched her brow markings when she saw her mother walk over to the body that fell and looked at it for a moment then said: "Let's go!"

-/

Jess looked back as she ran toward the Conduit, "Cam, come on!"

"I'm right behind you just keep going." He said as he stopped to slip his shirt on over his head, then picked up a large duffle and continued to run.

They were breathing heavy when they made it to the other side. She looked at the Conduit, "Do you think he'll pass as you?"

He leaned on his thighs. "Yea, I don't think they even know who or what the leader looks like. You were right. Fuck were they pissed! Benezia, yes, but did you see Liara? Shit!"

"I told you! You'll be lucky if Benezia doesn't kill more of your men just for the hell of it. Liara was a fucking curveball if I ever saw one. Reputation or not, they made a fucking point, and they didn't care if anyone saw. Anyone who knew anything about them bailed immediately."

He nodded as he pat his two varren. "So, now what? New name?"

"Yes, or continue to use your alias. Anyone could take on that name. The Void knows the drill."

He nodded, then they walked until they made it to the outskirts of the city on Ilos. They looked around then entered a small crack in the side of a cliff. They tapped at their lights as they walked deeper into the cave until they came upon several large boulders in the form of a circle. The center boulder was the largest, and it was surrounded by ten smaller ones. He took the circular gadget out of his side pocket and turned the dial several times as if he was punching in a code. He looked up when the smaller boulders quickly flashed then the center changed from a solid to a shimmer. He looked at Jess and said, "I'll be back in a month or maybe longer. Keep an eye on things for me." He paused, then stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small vial "For you."

She smiled as she took the vial from his hand, "It's about time you gave me this. What's the plan?"

He shrugged, "I don't know... Would it be easier if we brought them in sooner than later and not tiptoe around it?"

"Probably." She touched one of the smaller boulders "This is more than just a relay."

"I know... and their help would be beneficial."

She looked at him for a long moment then touched his chest "Can you let the pain go is the question?"

He scrunched his face as he shook his head "No...maybe…" He let out a long breath, "I need to think."

She nodded "Then we continue alone until you make that decision. Call me the moment you get back that way I know you're ok. If I don't hear from you in three months, I will come for you."

He nodded as he smiled at her, "Got it!" He said, then slipped a mask over his face then pressed two buttons to seal it. Once the mask sealed oxygen flowed through it then he hurled the large bag over his shoulder and walked to the center boulder.

She quickly said, "Be careful and don't trust anyone."

"I know, and I will." He said then disappeared with his varren into the rock.


	5. Upgrades

Shepard Stories III

**Ch 5: Upgrades**

**Armali, Thessia – T'Soni- Shepard Residence – 2308 CE**

Liara disconnected from her call with Shepard, and the thoughts of their injuries swam around in her head and infected every part of her mind and heart. No matter how much she wanted to hold herself together she couldn't. Tears drizzled down her face at someone beating her husband then daughter and cutting her hand off. _Goddess the pain she must have been in and is still in._ She clamped her eyes closed as a chill ran down her back at her daughter, screaming out in pain as they cut her hand off. She sniffled then softly said "I wasn't there to protect her."

"Lia, she's a hundred and fifteen, and her job is extremely dangerous. Anna is very resilient and no one would have ever imagined something like this would have happened, especially to her." Replied Shandri

The noise echoed through the room when she slammed her hand on her desk as she snapped "But it did!" She turned to face her as tears continued to trickle down her face. "I have all these damn credits and protection, yet my children and bondmate still get injured." She shook her head "These types of events shouldn't be happening. What the hell is all of it for if it does?"

Shay let out a breath "A handful of times it's happened in over a span of a hundred years. I'm sorry if you think I've failed you."

Liara looked at her friend "No, you haven't failed me. My expectations of my crew are high, and you all have done well to keep us safe for many years. It's just..."

"I know, and you take it very hard."

"They're my babies, and it will always be hard on me. She's my first, and I wanted her so badly. For her to be injured like this on a job that I—"

"No, this is not your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself."

Liara wiped her tears then leaned her hands on her desk. She sobbed quietly for a moment then lifted from the desk as her hands balled into a fist then let out a roar, "Argggh!" She took a ragged breath as she continued to sob, then took a deep breath and muttered: "I will have my vengeance on who did this to her." Her head jerked over toward the door when it opened, and her youngest two Jon'izio and Kathleen ran through the door and they both quickly said "Mom?"

She conceived Joni the year Miranda left, hoping it would ease her void and Kathleen several months after Joni was born. Both of them took her mind off Miranda and certainly kept her occupied along with her work, but the void never really subsided. Twenty-three years since Miranda went into cryo, and Liara still missed her terribly.

As soon as she saw them, she turned her back to them. She wiped her face again as she cleared her throat "I'm fine. Please leave."

"Are you sure? We heard you scream." They asked.

Liara dropped her head as she placed her hands on her desk "Your father and eldest sister have been injured and what you heard was me releasing my anger, I'm sorry." She closed her eyes when she felt one lean against her back and hug her. She couldn't help but begin to tremble and cry. She knew right away; it was Joni. Her sweet loving girl always aiming to please. She had the musical talents of her father and loved to sing. Her young talented singer was going to be a popstar one day, and her husband would come close to the noise of fame but yet so far away. Joni would fulfill her father's musical dream, and it wasn't if but when.

Joni softly said, "Mom, you're trembling. How bad is it?"

Liara gently touched her daughter's hand as she sniffled then wiped her tears away. "Your father is fine, and I've spoken to him. It's your sister I'm concerned about. She is not so well."

"Anna? There's no way!" Kathleen said in disbelief.

Liara gave a faint smile at her youngest daughter Kathleen. She was named after Shepard's sister and had the fire of Hannah in her. She was nothing like her namesake, and she was Anna all over again.

"I know, sweetie, and I'm taken back by it as well." She paused for a moment, "I need to call Riley and have her come in." She closed her eyes when she heard them gasp.

"Mom… what happened to Anna that you need Ry at this hour?"

Her words came out in a whisper, "It's bad…" She sniffled then said, "I need you two to go, please."

"Ladies, let's go. Out..out. We will inform you of what's happening when we know more." Said Shay quickly.

"Thank you…" murmured Liara as she sat in her chair and softly cried. She took a few deep breaths then called her daughter Riley.

—/

Benezia and Milizkia Residence

Lindanux looked over and grabbed her arm terminal when she heard it ding, and her brow markings pinched when she read the disturbing message from Naida, Anna's shadow. She gasped then looked at Genrie. "Oh, my god babe. Anna has been badly injured and they're rushing her back to HQ."

Gen let out a breath then looked over at their closed door. "They're in for the night. Should we tell them now or wait until the morning?"

"Nez will be furious if we wait until tomorrow. She would want to know about Anna now." Replied Lin

They both rolled out of bed and walked to their mistress's door. As they got closer, they could hear moans coming from their door. She looked at Gen and let out a breath then quietly said "Shit."

Gen nudged her, "Go on, she's your boss."

"Gee, thanks." She groaned. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath then knocked on the door. They waited until they heard Benezia growl out, "What is it?"

Lin swallow hard then cautiously replied, "Nez, I'm sorry to interrupt, but you need to head home—"

Benezia replied quickly, "Head home? What's happened?"

Lin could hear movement, and before she could continue, the door opened as Benezia walked out while she was tying her robe. Lin stepped back and said, "Its Anna…"

A flash of horror flashed across her face then quickly said: "What has happened to my sister?"

Her eyes darted back and forth from Benezia to Milizkia as she said, "I'm not entirely sure. Naida said it was very bad. Bad enough for her to message me at this hour."

Benezia turned and quickly walked back to her room and grabbed her hand terminal off her nightstand and tapped at it as she said: "There's nothing from my mother or father about this, are you sure?"

"Positive."

Benezia tapped at her hand terminal as she walked back into the living room and called her sister Anna. It continued to ring until her voicemail kicked in. _This is Anna leave a message_. "Hey, it's Nez; call me when you grab a minute." She hung up as she scrunched her brow markings then immediately called Naida. Two rings went through before she saw a puffy-eyed asari appear and say "Nezzie..."

Benezia knew something happened just by the look of anguish on her face, "What happened?"

She shook her head as tears drizzled down her face. Her voice cracked as she spoke, "I can't, but I'll show you. She's currently sedated and being carefully watched."

Benezia leaned into her hand terminal at the asari lying on the bed before her eyes. Her heart skipped as she scrunched her face. She shook her head in disbelief at the bruised, bloodied, and disfigured asari before her. "What the fuck? This cant be… Anna would never…" she bared her teeth as anger began to flow through her body "You are supposed to protect her!" she hissed

Naida sobbed as she replied, "I tried Nezzie, I swear! We all did. There were too many of them, and we just couldn't." She paused as she took several breaths. "During her fight with their leader, she lost her biotics somehow, and it crippled her. He blew right through her armor it was all very fast and strange."

"Lost her biotics? What the hell does that even mean?" she said as she looked at her then over at her bondmate.

"I don't know, but it's not like her not to use them. I mean she did at first then nothing and then it was just hand to hand combat."

Benezia scrunched her face, "What? Anna is highly proficient with her biotics. Why would she stop using them? I don't understand. Even with just hand to hand, she is damn good. It looks like she just fucking stood there and let someone beat the shit out of her. What are you not telling me?"

Naida shook her head "Nothing. That's all." She looked at Anna then back at Benezia "She didn't just stand there she fought for her life, and she definitely didn't stop but—"

"But what? Huh? My sister is better than what some would call the best, and your telling me some fucking nobody beat her down? Bullshit! Now, if she was completely immobile then yes I can see it, but hands-free no damn way!"

"That's what happened." Replied Naida

Benezia cocked a brow marking then said: "I don't believe you."

Mil grunted then said, "Babe, I know of something that can disable biotics, but it has to be applied to a main zone to act instantly."

Benezia turned as she thought about what she said, "Jona..."

"Yes, but this is something new. There's no way in hell, she'd allow someone to get close enough to apply it to a major e-zone during a fight. There's also no fucking way

Anna would just allow herself to get the shit kicked out of her, either."

"I know that's why this all seems wrong." She turned back to Naida, "Does my mother know?"

She didn't speak at first but just nodded as she began to tremble then squeaked out "Yes… I mean, she knows she's injured but not about the whole event."

Benezia narrowed her eyes "How come you didn't tell her what you've told me? Hmm?"

She sobbed harder then tried to speak, "I...I..."

"You're terrified she's going to end you for allowing this to happen," said Benezia

"I tried..."

She grunted then said, "So you've said. Earlier you said there were too many of them... Who are they?"

Naida quickly replied, "Obsidian Void on Alcazar. Kol Blackstone, their leader, did this to her."

Benezia flared her nostrils at the name. She blinked slowly, and her eyes came upon Naida's. "I will be speaking to my sister." Her word grew hot, the more she spoke. "If she tells me of any betrayal, I will kill you in the most vicious way. Regardless of what my mother says or does. Are we clear?" She could see Nadia shaking as she sobbed.

"Nezzie, I didn't betray her. I wouldn't…"

"For your sake, I hope you're right because it's not my mother you should fear, it's me. I will be there when you land." She said, then hung up.

Mili looked at her bondmate as she let out a breath then said: "Holy fuck babe Anna looked bad." She squinted as she touched the side of her face. "Did you see her face. Fuck…" She rubbed her finger over her lip then said "Never in my life would I imagine someone getting the drop on her."

Benezia clenched her fists then said, "I know. Anna is too fucking highly trained for whatever the fuck happened. Something is amiss here, and I will find out what happened. Whoever did this to her will feel my wrath."

-/

Liara paced her office as she waited, then hurried to her window when she heard a shuttle landing. She looked at Shay, "Anna or Ry?"

Shay grimaced as she shook her head and replied, "Neither… it's Benezia."

She closed her eyes, "Shit! Who told her?"

"I'm assuming Anna's crew. They're all close, and they would have definitely informed her." Replied Shay.

Liara ran her hands over her crest, "Damn it. I can't deal with Benezia right now, not with Anna on my mind. Shepard's not even here to calm her down, and she doesn't listen to me." She watched as the shuttle made it's landing "Hopefully, Mili is with her to keep her in check. Anna is usually the protective sister but Benezia is just the same and she's going to be pissed."

Shay gave a quick smile, "Chip off the block, isn't she."

She chuckled softly, then pointed at the window."I may rule this lineage but Benezia….is just pure power, and she could take this all from me if she wanted."

"She would never do that."

"I know, but she challenges my authority constantly. I love her but I'm terrified of what she could do if she really wanted. Goddess Shay, I see my mother in her at times. She has my mother's power, her strength, her sheer determination and her confidence. I swear the older she gets the more she even looks like her, it's almost uncanny."

Shay gave a slight side head nod and replied: "She does now that you say that but she's no different than Gwyn looking similar to you."

Liara scoffed. "Maybe so, but Gwyn is nothing like Nez. That one out there…will kill everyone if she felt the need to, and no one can stop her." She looked down "Not even me."

"You doubt yourself, Liara, but your power has grown tremendously and…"

Liara shook her head. "Maybe so, but I'm nowhere near her strength." She looked out the window and could see her daughter walking off her shuttle. "She's heading to medical. That just means she's too pissed off to come here, and I'm at the top of her shit list for not telling her."

"Good, maybe she'll cool off."

Liara gave a quick chuckle, "Doubtful and not if she's anything like how I'm feeling." She took several breaths then said "Shay I want to hurt whoever did this to my baby, and I will agree wholeheartedly with Benezia on her actions that she's going to want to take. I will not deny her of it." She looked at Shay with tears streaming down her face "Pure hatred is flowing through my veins right now and Benezia will feed that hatred with her own. The thought of someone almost beating my daughter to death infuriates me." She sniffled as she ran her hand down the length of her neck as she smeared the tears away "I don't even want to be here right now. I just…want to leave and go unleash this burning fury on everyone that had anything to do with this." She looked at Shandri as her tears flowed down her face "They might not know it, but they mean everything to me. When something this detrimental happens…" She placed a hand on her heart and continued "…it hurts so badly."

Shay walked up to her and hugged her tight as she said: "I know Lia, and whatever you decide to do, I will be there with you."

-/

Benezia exited her shuttled and walked to the medical facility. Her head turned slightly when one of her mother's commandos addressed her. "Benezia, Anna hasn't arrived, and your mother is at the estate."

She sucked her teeth "I will wait for my sister in medical. If my mother wants to speak with me, then that's where she can find me." She said, then walked off.

Benezia sat in silence for a while until the main door of the facility opened, and Riley walked through with their mother. She didn't have to speak to her mother to know she was hurting and extremely upset about this. She knew she wanted vengeance just as much as she did, but the question was when. She looked at Riley then her mother and asked: "How far out is she?"

"About thirty minutes and your father isn't much further behind them." Replied her mother

Benezia pinched her brow markings, "Dad? Why do you mention dad? Was he with her? Has something happened to him as well?" She stood when it took her mother a good long moment to open her mouth, but before her mother could speak, she did "It did. What the fuck is going here?" she scanned the room quickly then snapped "All this fucking help… training and they get fucked up? What good are these damn shadows when push comes to shove they are fucking worthless!"

Her mother glared at her then sneered "I don't need or want your shit right now! If they weren't there to take on some of the damage, then they both could be dead right now."

"If—"

"Shut up!" snapped Liara as she walked up to Benezia. "If you say another demeaning word, so help me." she inhaled deeply then said "I don't know what I'll do but just shut your damn mouth!" She looked over at Riley then said "Go prep. They'll be bringing her straight in."

Benezia curled her lip, then said: "I will speak to her before you do anything with her!"

"Benezia, your sister is…"

"I know. I saw her, and you didn't even bother to tell me!" she sneered as she took a step closer to her mother. "I will hear her version of what happened, and I will do what is necessary because I know you won't." She snipped as she walked passed her mother.

Liara grabbed hold of her arm when she brushed by her "You think I won't?" she snarled

Benezia scoffed, "Mother, I think you look too highly on reputation and what the galaxy thinks of you. I honestly don't give a damn what they think." She pointed a finger at her mother as she continued "Nothing you say or what dad says will keep me from doing what I feel is justification for my sister. Whether that means wiping out EVERYONE on Alcazar or not." She looked down at her mother's hand then at her mother and coolly said "Who the hell is going to stop me? You?"

Her bondmate could feel the tension rising and stepped closer to her, then whispered, "Babe ease up. We will—"

Benezia turned her head and snapped, "I will not! No one gets a drop on Anna or my father. Something fucking REEKS of betrayal, and I will find out who! When I do, heads are going to fucking roll." She saw her mother's mouth drop open then close. "Oh yea… because who would betray us again, right?"

Liara clenched her jaw as she released her hand from her daughter's arm. She turned toward Shandri as she breathed heavily. "When they land round them all up and bring them to me!" she snarled then left the facility to return to her office.

"Yes, ma'am." replied Shay. She looked at Benezia "You speak as if none of us do our jobs daily, and now you have your mother on fucking witch hunt."

She huffed, "Tell me a time when it mattered, Shay, and that your crew did their job?" she held up her hand after a short pause "Don't worry, I'll wait." She said coolly then looked at her waiting for an answer. Shay stood there for a moment as she glared at her, then turned and walked out.

Riley shook her head, "Could you be any more of a complete fucking bitch?"

Benezia slowly turned her head toward her younger sister. "What are you still doing in here shouldn't you be prepping?"

Riley scoffed as she shook her head, then walked away as she mumbled "Bitch..."

-/

Benezia stood back as they rolled her sister through the medical facility. When she saw her roll passed her, she knew Riley needed to look at her, and she would wait for her questions. She looked at her and let her younger sister do her job "How is she doing?" Riley asked her crew.

"She's stable. We had her sedated the entire time, and she's been out since it happened."

Benezia stood at the door and watched as her sister Riley moved swiftly. She fanned something under Anna's nose and watched as she jolted awake. The moment she woke, she reacted, and everyone near her was hit with a biotic blast, then she leaped off the bed. Her body was fiercely lit in a blue biotic blaze and she sent a blast to anything that moved then yelled "Get off me you motherfuckers!"

Benezia pinched her brow markings at the use of her biotics then noticed them flickering. She ran through the door and put a biotic hold on Anna as she quickly said: "Anna, you're among friends and family."

Anna's eyes darted around the room as she began to breathe heavily.

Benezia snapped her fingers then pointed to herself as she eased up to her. "Right here, sister. Hear me. Ok? It's ok." She said gently.

Anna's breaths were quick, then she whimpered, "Nezzie? I ugh.. can't…really see."

"It's ok. I'm right here." She said as she walked up to her and touched her hand.

Anna quickly grabbed for her hand, "Where am I?"

"Moms. You're safe." She replied as she helped her sister on to the bed.

Her breathing calmed as she held her sister's hand. "I feel like I got hit by a fucking frigate." She said then groaned as she laid back

Benezia smirked, "You fucking look it."

"Why are you here?" asked Anna

"Anna, you know why I'm here. I actually care about you, you bitch."

She lifted her stump as she scrunched her face "Look at this shit. How pathetic am I to allow this to happen?"

Benezia touched her leg, "Don't… don't say that. You are not pathetic."

She scoffed, "He was so fast, Nez… I just couldn't." Her words trailed off when they got stuck in her throat as she began to tear up.

She pat her leg. "It's ok. RyRy is going to get you fixed up. She's the best doctor out there for this regeneration and new medical tech stuff. We have the best equipment. You'll be just like new… like it never happened."

She shook her head, "But it did happen." She pointed to herself, "I'll know it happened." She looked at her blurry stump "I should leave it this way to show myself that I'm a failure, and this is what happens when you do. A failure to myself, to dad, and to my crew. All that fucking training for what? To almost fucking die." She lifted her stump "To get my fucking hand chopped off." She looked at her sister "I should be fucking dead is what. I mean shit, fucking look at me." She waved her good hand at her face "Look at this fucking shit! Fucking face bashed in. I can barely fucking see. A goddamn disgrace!"

She looked at her bruised and blooded sister. Her eyes focused on her crest, her bruises all over her swollen face then to her bloodshot hemorrhaging eyes. "But you're not dead, and you're not a failure or a disgrace. Your Anna fucking T'Soni, my big mean bitchy ass sister."

Anna gave a quick smile, and a chuckle then closed her eyes as she shook her head. "All I see are those fucking glowing eyes, no face, and a damn blur. How do you fight a fucking blur?"

Benezia looked down "We'll get him…them sister. I will get them, and they will pay for what they did." She paused for a moment then said: "Did your team betray you?"

Anna jerked her head back then shook it "No… they fought with me the whole time. Naida and my crew wouldn't do that! I wasn't the only one injured, Nezzie. She took a hit for me, and I know she would do it again."

She nodded, then replied, "Ok. I just needed to make sure. I trust your judgment." She looked her sister over then said "What happened? Why didn't you use your biotics? This is so not like you."

Anna closed her eyes briefly as she took a deep breath "I don't know they just went away." She pinched her brow markings. "We were handling ourselves fine, but then this tall motherfucker appears out of fucking nowhere, and it just all went to shit. He hit me with this plasma weapon and my Kinetic shield was gone in a flash." She winced when she touched her side "He sliced me here the second my shield was down." She gently touched her other side "Then again on the other side. After those two hits I was completely disoriented. My biotics went out and my vision began to blur. It was like I was stuck in this drunken blurry tunnel vision."

Benezia looked over at her bondmate then Riley as she said, "Some kind of poison?"

Riley walked up to Anna and opened her gown to take a closer look at the discolored wound. "Possibly. I'll take a swab after I remove the medi-gel, then analyze it and find out. I'll check with her crew to see if they took blood already. That should tell me what's in her bloodstream." She shined a light near her eyes "Whatever it is seems to still be lingering in her system. Let me go check and see if they took a vial of her blood."

Benezia pointed at the location "Perfect weak spot between the armor plating where it's just lining." She turned to her, bondmate, "What did you use on Jona that one time?"

"I don't know, but it was a very expensive concoction." She looked around then quietly said "Lena made it."

Benezia jerked her head back, "What? Are you serious? You contacted her during that event but didn't bother to contact anyone else?"

Mili rolled her eyes as she huffed "I had my reasons for what I did, ok and don't start with me!"

She raised her hand then let it drop to her leg "Fine! If whatever she made got out, it could hinder us all."

"I know and why I went to her, but she didn't know it was me. I asked for something that would disable biotics instantly and I would pay whatever price. She told me she could come up with something but she didn't tell me what was in it. When it was ready she sent me a message and guaranteed it would do the job. Whatever it was, worked that's all I know."

Riley shook her head as she touched the door then looked back and said "Lena wouldn't create something like that for just anyone especially something of that nature. She had to of known it was you."

"Whether she knew it was me or not, she made it. She sure as hell didn't mind taking my credits." Said Milizkia

"Well, if it was Lena then whoever raided their business years ago probably stole that along with everything else…" Benezia's words trailed off as her brain sparked. She quickly looked over at her bondmate (It may not be Anna's crew but someone is definitely leaking information…)

Milizkia looked at her bondmate with an arched brow marking (Who?)

(I'm not sure, but this is all too coincidental. They knew they would need something to impair Anna in order to take her down, and they did just that. They hit all our businesses and took what they needed. How would they know what we had unless it was someone on the inside.)

Mili scrunched her brow markings (Who would betray us all like that?)

She shook her head slightly (I don't know...but it ties in with The Obsidian Void.) Benezia froze then curled her lip (When we're finished with the Void, I want to track down Thomas Crispin.)

(He wouldn't be that stupid. Would he?)

(Maybe, maybe not, but he works with Gwyn and would have access to all her stuff.) She looked over at her elder sister when her voice raised.

Anna snapped her fingers "Hey, snap out of it! Did you hear what I fucking said?"

Benezia shook her head "No, sorry. What did you say?"

"I don't remember any chemical on Gwyn's list of missing items, and she never mentioned Lena missing anything. It was all weapons or tech of some sort." Said Anna

"Great, then they don't know its missing. Who knows what else they have." Grumbled Benezia

Mili groaned then said, "We have no idea if it's even the same stuff. It could be something completely different. Whatever they used on Anna hindered more than just biotics and can be applied anywhere."

"I will tell you this The Obsidian Void will pay for what they've done."

"They better…" said Anna

She nodded, "I can guarantee you that."

Anna smiled, "Good." She squeezed her sister's hand, then said: "Make it nasty and bring me his fucking mask!"

Benezia laughed as she pat her hand "Just for you sister. I'll get Riley back in here."

She nodded, then closed her eyes. When she felt her sister's hand pull away she gripped on to it "Do something else for me.

"What's that?"

"Whatever the fuck he has. I want it. You tell mom, dad, or Gwyn that I want what he fucking has. I want those upgrades."

She nodded, "You got it, but first we're going to kill some motherfuckers."

Anna closed her eyes, "You better kill a fucking shit-ton sister and bring me that trophy so I can display it on my fucking wall."

Benezia released her hand, then walked to the door and smiled "Oh, I will. That's a promise!" She said as she rose her finger. She walked out and looked at her mother as she began to cry.

Liara quickly walked over to her and held her, "I know, baby."

Benezia wrapped her arms around her "I want whoever did this."

Liara pulled away gently, "As do I."

"Good. I want to leave as soon as possible." She looked at her, bondmate, "Babe?"

Mil nodded, "Absolutely."

Liara looked at both of them. "Your father and I have something to discuss before we go." She looked at Riley, "Do whatever you need to do."

As Liara turned, Benezia said, "Mother, I'm going whether you do or not." She looked at the back of her mother, and she just stood there, then she said in a raised tone "Did you hear what I said?"

Liara turned her head slightly and replied: "I heard you."

—/

Riley walked back into Anna's room and gently placed a hand on her leg, "Hey?"

Anna opened her eyes, "Hey, Ry. I heard you were going to fix me up."

"Like new sister." She placed a machine next to her bed as a few other asari began to set up what she needed to perform her repairs. "This bad boy will regenerate your hand. The girls were able to keep the old one on ice. I took a scan of it, and this has been programmed to build you a new one. It's going to take several hours, but you'll be good as new when it's done." She leaned in and took a look at her head then scanned her as she spoke "You feeling any pressure at all?"

Anna grunted, "No."

Riley looked at the scan then back at her sister's wound on her crest. She dug in her pocket and took out a small flashlight, then shined it in the wound then sprayed it. She handed the light over to her assistant then slipped a pair of gloves and a mask on. She grabbed a small suction device off the table and began to suction the soften medi-gel out of her wound. She placed the machine down then gently touched her severely bruised and bloodied crest "How about that?"

Anna flinched as her eyes squinted. "Ow, What the fuck!"

She immediately said, "Sorry." Then looked down at her arm terminal. "Well, no signs of severe cranial damage or brain hemorrhaging but there are some fractures in the skull near the wound. Microfractures along your cheekbones and temple area. Not to worry, I'll get you all fixed up."

Anna nodded, "Ry, I want upgrades while you're here."

"Upgrades? Mom didn't tell me about doing upgrades."

"Well, I'm telling you, and I don't need mom's fucking approval!" She sneered

"Ok, geez. What are you thinking?"

"A bone and skin weave. I want Gwynne's intraocular implant and her neurotransmitter implant and whatever she fucking has."

Riley scrunched her face "Anna, I'll need to ask Gwyn about that. I don't—"

"Oh, don't you dare fucking tell me you don't know how! I know Gwyn would have you do them!"

She blinked several times, "I know Anna. I helped her design several of them." She reached down and grabbed a thick pen-like device and turned it on.

Anna looked at her then at the device with a blue, glowing electrical tip "What are you doing?"

"I'm about to operate on your cranial fractures."

Anna pinched her brow markings, "Are you not going to put me out?"

She chuckled, and her mask bobbed as she talked, "Nope. Don't need it." She glanced down at her sister as she grabbed a small spray gun and sprayed her wound. "Do you not trust me? I can put you out if you like."

Her eyes darted around, then she replied: "I trust you."

She shook her head slightly as she sprayed her wound again "You're freaking out."

"Well, it doesn't help that you're doing surgery on my fucking cranial with nothing! So yea, I'm a bit freaked out, ok."

She dipped her pen into a small vial then released the contents on her wound. Then grabbed the other pen and scanned her wound with it. She ran the pen up and down the length of her wound as if she was painting it. "You know, I thought you'd have more faith in me sister." She said as she looked at a small monitor next to the bed then continued to move the pen up and down her wound.

"I mean, I do. It's just..."

"It's just what? Hmm? I'm not Benezia or Gwynne? You think I haven't mastered my skill?"

She turned her head slightly, and Riley quickly stopped her "Don't move. I am working as we talk, you know."

"Oh! You are? What?" She paused then said, "I know you're good ok, but you're making me nervous. How come I can't fucking feel anything that you're doing?"

She chuckled, "That's because I've completely numbed the area. Now be still." She glanced at the screen and watched as her tiny nanites were repairing the damage. She softly said, "Excellent." She looked up at her assistant "Keep that going while I move on."

Riley looked back at her sister "That will be done in a few minutes, then I'll seal the wound." She tapped at her arm terminal. "So, would you like to go under for your puncture wounds?"

Anna arched a brow marking, "Are they going to be as simple and painless as my skull?"

Ry laughed. "Yes, and it won't take long. Ready?"

She smiled, "Yes, let's do this. Can I see?"

She nodded her head as she laughed. "Sure." She looked over at the other aid in the room "Can you please move this monitor on that side of the bed? After that, I'll need someone to open her gown."

Anna looked at the monitor and scrunched her face at her grotesque bloodied wounds. "That's nasty."

Riley sprayed her wound then sprayed around it. "That it is." She gently touched it then sprayed her medi-gel packed wound until it softened. She looked at her sister then back down at her wound, then swiftly suctioned the medi gel out, and as she did, small clamps were placed in the wound."

"Woah! Did you do all that and put a clamp-like that on my head?"

Riley gave a quick chuckle, "Yea, and I believe you said, What the fuck!"

"Ahhh, you tricky bitch."

"Now, if I would have said exactly what I was going to do, would you have let me?"

"No!"

"Exactly." She picked up a new pen and dabbed it in a new vial then sprayed her gaping wound. "Did it hurt when I removed it."

"No," she replied then watched the screen as her sister continued to mend her wound. "What the fuck is that?"

"It's nanite technology. They are repairing the internal trauma in a controlled environment. The clamp gives them room to mend the underlying tissue, then I'll remove it to seal the wound."

"Is this what dad has?"

"Yes and no. Dad has more advanced nanites. I would say these are just normal ones. Programmed to repair only with this." She said as she pointed to the other pen-like device in her hand. "When activated, they work, and when it's not they don't. When they're done I remove them."

She pinched her brow marking as she raised her finger "Oh, that's pretty cool." She looked down at the glowing pen, "Do you seal it with that as well?"

"No, not this one but a similar one." She set the pen down the grabbed another, and removed the tiny clamp. She grabbed another pen-like device then turned it on and the tip sparked with a green glow. "Check this out." She placed the pen near a wound her nanites just mended then gently dragged the pen down her gaping wound.

Anna's eyes widen as her wound closed and the only thing that remained was a faint scar "Holy shit! I want one."

Riley laughed. "Soon they will be in all our med kits but not yet."

After about half an hour or so, she said: "Have you had enough chit chat?"

Anna arched her brow marking "I suppose so."

"I didn't mean for that to come off snarky. What I meant to say was I'm almost done." She looked at the time. "It's super late, so I won't be calling Gwyn tonight, but I will in the morning about that intraocular and neurotransmitter upgrade. As for the others, I can do those, but I'll just need the materials for it." She thumbed her thumb at the regeneration machine "I'll hook that up and let it run overnight and you should be good to go in the morning."

"How does that work anyway?" asked Anna

"Well, with an extremely innovated procedure. It's a 3D bio-organic printer meshed with a cloning device. We take a scan of the body piece with provided DNA."

"Yea, but how."

"Ahh, well, when you clone someone, it can be done in any form of age nowadays. So, we took your age and hand then a vial of blood for your DNA. We insert all the data into the machine, and it builds your hand while in this device."

"Yea, I get that, but how?"

"It's complicated, Anna. To take out all the mumbo jumbo, let's just say it knits it on. The nanites will remove the cauterized section, and then the process will begin."

She nodded, "Ok... let's do it."

—/

Several days later, Riley, Gwyn, and Shepard walked into the medical facility. Shepard smiled at his healing daughter, "Hey Bella. How you feeling?"

She sat up and tried to blink the dryness out of her eyes. Her vision was slightly blurred as her new lens zoomed in and out slightly as she tried to focus on her dad. "Hey, dad. I'm better but trying to get used to these lenses."

"That could take some time." Replied Gwyn

Anna pinched her eyes closed "Ugh fuck. Can we adjust the adjustments? Fuck. They just keep fucking adjusting. It's making me dizzy as fuck!"

Gwyn cocked a brow marking "Hmmm. Let's take a look." She removed her sister's neuro temple piece then quickly tapped at her arm terminal. She reached in her side pocket and pulled out a cord and plugged it into her arm terminal then attached it to her sister's temple port. She tapped at a few buttons, then said "Ok, open your eyes for me." Gwyn was looking at her screen and looking through her sister's eyes. She tapped a few buttons, and the adjusting settled "There. How's that?"

Anna let out a breath as her vision cleared, "Much better. Thank you."

"Just know that you can make these adjustments yourself through your terminal. Your terminal is now connected to your internal port." She looked at her other settings "Everything else looks good. I've even given you special access to the facial recognition network."

Anna shook her head slightly when she saw a small snapshot of her sister, then it read across her lens, Gwendolyn T'Soni-Shepard. No outstanding warrants. "Wow, that's definitely going to take some getting used to."

"Well, you can turn that feature off for now if you like. Customize it to your liking. Here, what you can do is this. Instead of seeing the response on your lens, have it feed to your arm terminal."

Anna nodded "Let's do that for now."

Gwyn nodded as she tapped at her terminal. "Now, let's check your night vision." She looked at her dad. "Can you hit the lights for me, please?"

Shepard nodded, "Yea." He said as he flipped the lights off

Anna grinned as the room turned a light green color and could see everyone plainly. "This is awesome. I see you all as if I had night vision specks on."

"Good. Your lens should accommodate for different lighting. No lights, then full measures kick in. Dim lights and so forth."

"And full-blown sunlight or quick brightness? Will I get a blinding effect."

Gwyn quickly shook her head "No, it acclimates instantly. Unlike Kol Blackstone, you won't have strange glowing eyes. His are lenses that adhere semi-permanent to the eye. The glowing you saw is the tech in the lens activating. Yours, on the other hand, are permanent lenses, and the procedure was similar to that of cataract surgery. Your tech is translucent, and only you can see it. No one will know you have this, and it will pass eye scanners." Gwyn gently touched near her sister's temple "Everything processes through here..." She made a swoop with her finger "... then filters everywhere else. Now try to call me, but just think it."

Anna looked at her sister as she thought her words, and she saw her sister's picture show up on her arm terminal. She smiled as she read Confirm? "Wow, this is amazing, Gwyn."

She nodded, "Whenever you're ready, all this can be switched back to your lens. Unlike everyone else your video calls can be seen on your lens instead of your terminal."

"That's cool."

"Don't worry about damaging it. This device has been tested thousands of times against everything, water, electricity, friction, oil, food, etc. If you have any issues, just call me, and we'll sort it out." She removed her cord from her terminal port then placed her neuro unit in her hand "This can be cloaked, and no one will know you have it on. With it off, your lens should be reading port disconnected, correct?"

"Yes."

"Good, that's a safety measure just in case it gets dislodged for whatever reason. Know that your lenses will work without your neuro device or arm terminal, but everything works best when together."

Anna nodded, "Got it."

She looked at her dad then took a breath. "Dad was telling me about Kol and his swift movements. He took several of my ideas and apparently was able to make a working product. What he was using is something I like to call blink. It's a quick teleport, and depending on the distance is how long it takes to recharge. If you blinked from here to the house, it would take let's say ten minutes to recharge to full capacity"

Anna grunted, "That explains the flash movements, but I've seen Nezzie do something similar. Dad's charge is kinda like it too."

Gwyn nodded, "Yes, exactly, and where I got the idea. Dad's charge is fast and full force evasive, but Benezia is more like quick hops."

There are two different versions with and without the draw of biotics. Easier to come up with a working model with someone who has biotics than someone without. This device works with the neurotransmitter. You just tell yourself I want to blink from here to that door, and you're there. You can't blink through objects. Well, not yet..."

"Do I have that?" Asked Anna

"No, but I'll have my version finished to where I want it soon, and I'll have it integrated." She pointed to their dad "He also mentioned that his weapons blew through my armor. I'm pretty irritated about that, and I'm sorry my armor you've come to rely on was unreliable."

Anna shook her head "No, don't blame yourself for what happened to us. Your armor did its job against the weapons you have studied. He had something unknown, and that's not your fault."

She pinched her brow markings as she frowned "I didn't test it against the new weapons we found from the facility. There was no need to, but after Lena analyzed your armor, she found similarities. Whatever he has it's derived from the same product as Dad's weapon."

Shepard brow cocked. "Makes sense. The power from my gun is massive, and whatever he used wasn't as strong as my deathly blast but similar to the regular one. Where the hell did he get that at?"

Gwyn lowered her head "From me..."

Shepard and Anna's headshot over at her "What?"

"I told you I replicated them."

"I thought it was just the stun gun?" replied Shepard

"No, I was able to replicate yours, but I never produced it because it was so deadly. What I made was a gun with a regular blast, and I had a prototype in my office."

"Damn, Gwynne!"

She began to cry, "I'm sorry." She pointed to her sister "This is exactly why I was so upset that day. I was terrified that something like this would happen and it did."

Anna looked at her sister then waved her over "Come here. This is not your fault. It's ok." She said as she hugged her. "Nezzie, mom and Mil went to go take care of that problem anyway."

"Will I get my stuff back?"

Anna laughed, "Gwyn, your stuff is gone, sister."

She pulled away gently as she sniffled, "I know." She let out a breath "I will tell you this I'll have something new for you soon. Something that will withstand those blasts if you ever encounter them again."

She nodded, "Thank you. You guys are the best."

Gwyn smiled, "I have something else for you, and you're the first to test it."

"And what is that?"

"Well…" she tapped at her sister's arm terminal. "You have my newest edition of sonar technology, but I haven't activated it."

Anna scrunched her face, "Huh? Sonar tech…what the fuck?"

Gwyn smiled. "Close your eyes." When she saw her eyes closed, she finished tapping at her arm terminal then slowly walked away. She held up her finger to her mouth then she flipped her hands at them to fan out around the room. As she moved she watched her sister smile then she snapped her fingers in a circle a few times.

"Anna what just happened?" asked Gwyn

My eyes were closed, but I saw you three move. I take that back I faintly saw you move. It was a grainy outline almost but not you, Gwyn. I saw you a tad clearer."

Gwyn nodded. "The bounce of sound gave you that picture. I made more noise therefore my picture was clearer."

Anna let out a breath, "Amazing. Can this be turned off and on?"

"Yes, it's all on your arm terminal."

"Can it be clearer?"

"I'm working on it, but that's the phase it's in for now, but I will let you know when I have something better."

Riley waited until her sister was finished, then said: "How's your new hand feel?"

Anna lifted her newly acquired hand and moved it around, "Like I never lost it thanks to you."

She smiled then softly felt around near the two newly acquired tiny pin size scars on each side of her arm where the machine attached "No irritation or pain?"

"Nope, all good. Everything functions."

She softly ran her finger down her sister's hand, then her fingers "You can feel this?"

"Yep."

She pinched her, and her sister jerked her hand away. "Ow!"

Riley chuckled, "Just checking. Any stiffness or pain in your neck?"

She shook her head as she gently ran hand on the back of her neck "No."

She nodded, "Good. How does everything else feel? Stiff?"

Anna ran her hand down her arms "A hint rougher but not horrendous. With this skin weave, I was expecting sandpaper."

Riley scoffed. "Give me some credit. Even when dad had his done, it wasn't sandpaper, but it's definitely improved since then." She glanced at Gwyn then said "I believe dad wanted to chat for a bit, but I want you to stay one more day in here then you can head home." She pat her leg "I'll see you later."

Anna nodded, "Great! Thank you for everything."

"Anytime." She said as she walked out.

-/

Two days prior, Riley walked into GTS Tech, Gwyn's business, and info her office. A young human woman with brunette hair looked up and smiled at her "Dr. Rileseya, Gwyn said you'd be stopping by."

Riley nodded her head, "Is she busy?"

The young lady looked over at her boss's door then back "She's always busy but I'm sure she'll make time for you. Umm, but she's not in her office at the moment. Let me ring her for you." She pressed a button on her phone "Gwyn, your sister Rileseya is here to see you."

"Oh, perfect timing! Ry, I'm on the restricted floor, in lab room eight. I've sent you access to that floor on your terminal and use my elevator. I'll expect you in no later than ten minutes. No dilly-dallying because it will expire."

Riley smiled at the receptionist. "What if I have to pee?"

"You have restricted access…"

Riley arched a brow marking as she chuckled "I'm kidding. I'm heading there now." She exited her office and made her way to Gwyn's personal elevator, and before she could get there she was knocked down by a man in a hurry.

He gathered his scattered stuff off the floor as he looked around the office quickly "I'm so sorry."

Riley rubbed her shoulder as she grunted then looked at the slender man with glasses "In a bit of a hurry?"

"Umm yea." He said then hurried down the hall.

She picked her self up off the floor and mumbled: "Don't worry about me I don't need help." She brushed her pants off as she said "Goodness." She looked back at the man walking briskly "Rude…" She walked up to the elevator and waved her arm terminal over the scanner then glanced back again "Why does he look familiar?"

She walked off the elevator and down several hallways until you found lab room eight, then scanned her arm terminal. As she walked through the door she called out "Gwyn?" She scanned the massive room to locate her sister then smiled when she popped her head around the corner.

"I'm over here." said Gwyn

"How's the testing coming?"

"I think it's stable. No issues with the latest upgrade."

Riley walked up to her sister and said "Have you decided?"

Gwyn stuck her hands in her lab coat pocket and pulled out a small circular disk with a notch cut out, then another elongated version the size of a nine-millimeter casing with tiny feelers and a small circular end. "Well, I've tested both and they're both stabilized. I just don't know which we should go forward with?"

Riley took them from her hand. "What did you go with for the exterior?"

She pointed to the exterior of both. "Diamond casing but covered in a synthetic protective layer to withstand any internal body reaction." She tapped the disk and said, "This one is roughly about an inch and a quarter in circumference and only millimeters in depth. It fits at the base of the skull where the brain stem and spinal cord connect. It slides in under a vertebra and wraps around the stem. Hence the reason for the notch."

Riley nodded then lifted the other one "And this one?

"Well, that could be inserted in the back, and then it'll be tapped into the new neurotransmitters that will connect to the brain stem. I mean, they'll be both tapping into the neurotransmitter but the setup is different."

Riley scrunched her brow markings as she looked at each one then flipped it over then back. She let out a long breath as she rolled the disk in her hand then said, "This one is basically spinal cord surgery. Your talking about implanting this into the spinal cord and not damaging any of the thousands of nerves surrounding the spine. Not to mention the Biotic amp that could be there." She lifted the other one "This one would be somewhat easier, but it still involves the delicacy of the spine." She shook her head as she briefly closed her eyes "Even if the other one was implanted near the spine and connected like the other. How in the world did you get this to work?"

Gwyn tapped at her arm terminal. "Well, I was able to tap into their neurotransmitter and then into the cortical disk. See, each disk is encrypted with a serial number." She wiggled her fingers then tapped away at her computer "With that serial number I'm able to dial into that person cortical regions of the brain."

Riley cocked a brow marking as she looked at the screen "You've figured out how to map the brain without an MRI? How in the world…"

Gwyn smirked, "Yes, for the most part and it only took twenty years." She pinched the screen then tossed the image on to the wall. "So, with all my research and testing I was able to withdraw the information from the brain."

Riley shook her head slightly. "How in the world did you download…umm copy our entire consciousness, memories, etc. into this?"

She smiled, "Well, you know how some asari can extract information forcefully but we all can willingly reveal our entire life to our partner within a sexual meld."

Riley's mouth dropped open "You found a way to duplicate that and program that into this disk?"

Gwyn smiled broadly "That's exactly what I did."

She chewed on her lip, "Goodness Gwyn if anyone figured that out this could be dangerous."

"I know…and no one knows but a tiny amount of people." She held up a disk "They can currently be removed carefully by anyone with medical knowledge. But…" She said as she held up a finger then quickly tapped at her computer "… I'm thinking of installing like a slot…"

Riley began to shake her head then immediately said, "No, do not make this easy for anyone to remove. That just makes it even more dangerous. Can you imagine someone stealing this out of someone then possibly hacking it."

"These are highly encrypted. Besides, it doesn't work that way. I mean yes it downloads like a computer but you can't just withdraw the information from it."

"But yet we asari can do that to a living person."

Gwyn let out a long breath, "I know but not with these."

She scratched the side of her crest. "This project altogether is ludicrous I mean, we're practically jumping bodies, Gwyn."

Gwyn nodded, "I know."

"Ok, and you've tested it and its stable. Now what? Do you plan on using this first on Anna?"

Gwyn gave her a quick side nod "Well, she wanted upgrades and you have to install her transmitter anyway. Right?"

"True, and what happens if this breaks? Is that when whoever gets downloaded inside dies?"

Gwyn scratched the side of her temple. "Yes, because the information will be lost." She bobbed her finger. "But there's always fail safes. We'll have several downloads." She tapped her head "Main copy" tapped the disk "Hard copy on the disk." She touched where a neurotransmitter would be on her temple "Network download transmitter to a secure black box location with multiple cortical disks."

"Cortical disks, huh…"

Gwyn gave a slight side nod, "Yea, because you know these are holding valuable information like data disks."

"So, how do we secure the download? Does it happen every hour on the hour? Once a day?"

"Oh, umm however, the user wants, but yea once a day maybe while you sleep."

"And what happens if you die before that download?" asked Riley

"Umm well, then you revert back to your last download, and everything that happened afterward is lost. We remove your disk and pop it into another body and boot you back up….technically."

Riley ran her hands over her crest. "Goodness, Gwyn, you're speaking of someone never technically dying. Do you understand how this can be a problem?"

"I do, and I don't think we should even be cloning people, but for the sake of mom, this is what I've come up with. If this is something that ever got out and into the galaxy then funding would be astronomical." She lifted the tiny disk "The cost of this tiny disk for any normal person they couldn't even afford it. Let's not even get into the cost of what it is to get a clone made."

Riley looked around the lab. "Wait, how did you get clones made so easily."

Gwyn wrung her hands together and mumbled: "I 3D bio-organically printed them."

"Huh? What was that?"

She let out a long breath and spoke clearer, "I 3D bio-organically printed them."

Her eyes grew wide as her mouth dropped open "Woah wait, you printed a fully grown person?"

She looked down and mumbled, "Yes…"

"Gwyndolyn!"

She threw her hands up "How the hell did you think I was doing this?"

"I thought you were growing them."

"I did in the beginning, but that took way too long."

"Where is this machine?"

She walked over to a large vertical machine that had a metal platform. Slender metal pieces swirled around the length of the machine to the top. Each slender piece of metal was laced with glowing lights. "This is the body scanner." Said Gwyn as she placed her hand on it. They walked to another that was an encased horizontal machine. "This is the printer. It's practically a larger version of the ones you have but modified."

Riley ran her hand down the machine, "Nice."

She touched the wall nearest her and it's obstructed view became clear as it revealed several stacked cubicles of printed bodies. They were lying back against what looked like a lightly padded cell with their legs curled up to their chest. Every few seconds, a flash of light traveled through the body.

Riley's eyes widen as she gazed upon the wall of people "Geezus Gwyn!"

"What? I needed them ready, ok. It takes three days to print a body." She glanced at her sister then said: "It took a while to figure out the printer and they were dying left and right in the beginning and…"

"What the hell did you do with the bodies?" asked Riley

"Well… I deatomotized them." Replied Gwyn

"Holy hell Gwyn! You're mass incinerating people. What the fuck?"

She looked at the clones then back at her sister. "I'm talking about the clones not the test subjects."

Riley placed her hand on her chest, and she heaved "Same fucking thing!" She waved her hand at the bodies "After you print them they are live people."

"Hmm…I don't see it that way. When they're a hundred percent working, then they're people." She waved her hand at them "These are just…empty shells."

She shooked her head, "And if you laid an empty dead shell at a murder scene you'd be in jail."

Gwyn gave a side head nod, "Ok, I see your point."

"Gwynne, we have to be extremely careful with all this tech. Even in the medical field, there are so many precautions and liabilities with tank grown subjects."

"I know the dangers and why no one is allowed in here."

Riley walked up to the closest body in its small cell-like cubby. "What… what is happening here? They're not being held in cryostasis. Aren't they aging like this?"

"They are, but this is electro stimulation; it keeps the muscles and the exterior part of the body from deteriorating. As the body sits for long periods of time it tends to cause bed rot as you know."

Riley nodded, "I do."

"At first, I thought about cryo but I was printing and cycling through the body faster than expected. Cryo is mostly for long term needs and this is just temporary, a holding cell for my test subjects."

"How many people have you cycled through?"

She let out a breath as she ran her hand over her mouth "Too many to count. Printing humans are the easiest, then the rest of the species vary in difficulty." She bobbed her finger "The hardest part is adding in biotics."

Riley closed her eyes slowly as her brow markings lifted "No…no no no no no…you didn't. You figured out how to harvest biotics?"

"Well, if you're going to do it right, then you figure out how to do it all one hundred percent. Why would you bring back an asari without biotics? The technology was already there I just had to figure it out. Auntie Miranda is a prime example of DNA manipulation with added in biotics." She walked to another room and tapped several buttons on a side door panel "Her DNA was the key to unlocking that."

"You went back?"

Gwyn chuckled. "Oh, I've been back several times without mom knowing. I had to study the equipment, the documents, the tech and everything else Miranda had locked away in there. So much knowledge in one place…" She softly tapped at her forehead "…you wouldn't believe what all is there."

Riley walked into the room, and her mouth dropped open "Holy hell Gwyn is that?"

She gave a quick smile, "Miranda…"

"Why did you move her? Mom would flip the hell out if she found out."

She touched the wall as the cell illuminated "She's a clone, tank grown directly from the source." She touched the next panel, and the cell illuminated "This one was scanned then 3D printed." She rubbed her fingers together "You see they're the same but completely different. I found out that when you grow one from the source you get a clone of the original and if they have biotics then you get that as well because it's integrated into the DNA; it's part of you; it's in everything. When you scan, then 3D print one then not so much. I couldn't quite understand why then it hit me. Tank grown is a replica of the original, but a scanned 3D printed one is just a scanned copy with synthetic blood transfusion and the DNA imprinted. A grown clone has different fingerprints but a scanned one is exactly the same except no biotics." She placed her hand on the scanned copy "These are almost like sleeves easily replaceable and you can manipulate them almost like a machine."

"What are you saying? One is better than the other?"

"Precisely." She placed her hands on her chest "The original is one of a kind and never truly replaceable. A tank grown is the next best thing of truly being real because it's grown from scratch." She looked at the scanned copy "But these…they function as they should and just as real but they're stitched together with genetically made material but the fault is it has a half-life." She glanced at her sister "Still human but they deteriorate faster."

Riley pinched her brow markings, "What? So, regeneration has a fault?"

Gwyn shook her head "No, but the chemical make up we're using for this has a half-life of the original." She looked at her sister "Another thing is I've tagged everybody that's been printed with a tiny indicator that tells me this is a sleeve."

Riley let out a breath "A sleeve is that what you're going to call them? Wow, your degrading them as bodies that you can just toss aside."

"Well, they are." She pulled the small disk out of her lab coat pocket. "Once we die this is the only thing that will matter because without this…." She placed her hand on the wall "…then these won't function." She looked at her sister "You see, that's the major difference here. Tank grown are built and ready to go. A clean slate and they awake like a newly born baby right out of the womb. They just need to learn and function just as babies do." She touched the other one "But these…are empty inside and why I call them a sleeve. There's no brain activity, no spark of life and no functionality without a disk. You remove this disk from its sleeve and it will drop to the ground but you take this out of a regular body and it'll keep functioning. These are not the same because that's how I designed it to be."

"Why do it this way then? Why didn't you use the memory machine Miranda told you to use."

Gwyn huffed "I tried to use it, and it didn't work. It fried the brain or it transferred the information over as nonsense. I attempted it many times and it didn't work as its intended. Now what it could do is implant what you want into the brain, one memory, one vision, but not all. Like a mold of what you wanted to start with, then it could learn from there but transferring entire consciousness to another, no. I had to come up with something else without Miranda here to show me how it truly worked. Besides I'm not trying to play God."

Riley chuckled. "Yet here we are." She raised her hands and turned slowly "Right smack in the middle of Frankenstein's lab."

Gwyn grimaced, "I do this mainly for our mother but also for the sake of Miranda."

She looked down as she let out a breath, "I know you do but this will change everything if it ever got out."

"I know, and we'll jump that hurdle when we get to it." Replied Gwyn

"So, Dr. Frankenstein, do you have Anna's stuff ready to go or what?"

Gwyn huffed as she walked out of the room and over to a container "Yes, all her upgrades are right here. She will be the first of our family to receive a cortical disk."

She nodded, then said, "Alright, I should head back and get started." She was about to lift the box then looked over at her sister "Oh, before I forget." She tapped at her arm terminal as she walked back over to her. "Let's talk about this." She said as she opened up a screen.

Gwyn leaned in and looked at the screen, "What's this?"

"Well, Anna was telling me that Kol used some kind of poison or something that crippled her movements."

Gwyn pinched her brow markings "Mmmkk… why are you showing me?"

She scratched the back of her neck "Well, Mil mentioned that Lena made a concoction that hindered biotics for her decades ago."

She jerked her head back. "What?" she slowly looked up at her sister "That's dangerous especially for us…" Her hand clamped on her mouth "Was it stolen and used on Anna?"

Riley shrugged, "I don't know but I don't think this is Lena's. I mean, maybe part of it is but not all of it." She pointed to her screen "I ran this through our system, and some of the ingredients in this arent registering with anything in the galaxy. Which is strange."

"Hmmm? That is strange. Send me that with a sample, and I'll have Lena look at it. She'll pick it apart, down to the molecules."

Riley smiled, and she handed her sister a tiny vial "I know she will and why I brought you a sample." She pointed to her screen "Whatever this is we need an antidote that can undo the effects quickly. According to Anna's shadow she became pale and her body was fighting whatever these foreign substances are. It wasn't deadly but overwhelming and it still lingers."

"Ok, I'll send it over to her, and she'll come up with something."

Riley picked up the case. "Great, I'll see you later at mom's."

"Yea." She replied. She turned and walked back into the room with the two Miranda's. She looked at the Miranda's as she rolled the disk in her hand then said: "Well Miranda I found a possible solution to your problem." She let out a long breath, "Only took twenty-some-odd years. I know you won't approve but I don't know what else to do. Super nanites are too risky and auntie Kathleen told me they dropped the program decades ago. The entire program was scrapped because it was too dangerous and all the test subjects were tracked down and eliminated. The only functional super nanites our within our family, and I didn't want to recreate them." She let out a breath "Now, the trick is to convince mom to wake you without telling her about this program."


	6. Turn of Events

Shepard Stories III

**Ch 6 – Turn of Events**

**Armali, Thessia – T'Soni-Shepard Estate. 2310CE**

Vilio Edoze, Liara's ex-commando, sat in her sky car, hovering quite a distance away from the T'Soni Estate as she thought long and hard about her next move. She glanced over at her sister when she made a few noises. "You're right, I should just go in and talk to her." She blinked several times as she rubbed her hand on her thigh then said, "Goddess... I'm walking into my death." Her sister made a few noises and Vilio huffed, "You don't think so? Yea well, you don't know Liara like I know Liara." She rolled her eyes then mumbled, "Look at me, talking to myself and you're oblivious to what's about to happen." She took several deep breaths then flew into there air space and the moment she did, she received an audio transmission.

"You are in a private and restricted air space, and you must leave immediately as we have no appointments on their schedule today. Do you copy?"

She exhaled then replied, "I copy. I don't have an appointment, but I need to speak with Liara."

"I'm sorry if you don't have an appointment, then we must ask you to leave." replied a commando.

She closed her eyes then look down at the small guard tower near the landing pad "It's extremely important that I speak with Liara. If not, Liara, then possibly Shay?" She waited a brief moment and she knew that by mentioning Shay, that shit was about to hit the fan.

The commando quickly replied, "Who is calling upon our mistress and our major?"

She couldn't even get her full name out before several weapons raised from different sections of the perimeter as the commando was setting her demands. "Set this vehicle down, and if you attempt anything, then we will blast you out of the sky!"

She rose her hands directly above her steering wheel. "Ok ok.. easy. Please don't shoot! I'm here to cooperate. I'm going to set the car down." She slowly lowered her hands and tapped at a few buttons to set the car down then lifted the door and slowly rose her hands. When the door was completely lifted, she saw several asari with weapons raised then one stepped forward and firmly said, "Get out! Stand where we can see you clearly."

She stepped out of her vehicle and further on to the landing pad. She grunted when someone hit her with the butt of a weapon on her back as someone said. "Get down on the ground, you fucking traitor!"

She knelt down, then laid down on the ground, "I'll comply just don't shoot me."

"Shut up and wait until Shay gets here until you speak."

Vi laid there for a while until she heard someone walk up. She closed her eyes when she heard her voice, her ex-lovers voice, and she missed it. "Vi, what the hell are you doing here?" Asked Shandri

"Do I need to continue to lay on the ground, or can I get up and speak to you?" Replied Vilio

Shay let out a breath, "You can get up."

Vi stood then brushed off her clothes. At first, she couldn't look at her because she didn't want to look into those eyes, eyes that used to be just for her. A heart she knew she broke. An asari she loved dearly and knew loved her deeply for decades. Her eyes focused on the ground, and she slowly looked up at her and into her eyes and they were cold. She looked down then back at her "I'm sorry—"

She quickly rose her hand, and plainly said, "Don't. Why are you here? Do you want to die?" She asked, then pointed to the house. "Liara is here. Shepard is not."

"I know she will never forgive me."

"She? You mean they will never forgive you. It's not just her but the whole damn family, Vi." She waved her hand around at the commandos then herself. "Us...me."

She looked down, "I will accept my fate with Liara."

Shay shook her head "It's not just Liara you need to worry about."

She nodded slightly, "I know…"

Shay looked at her then toward the car when she heard noises, "Who is with you?"

Vilio looked back at the car, "Oh, umm, my sister."

"You found her?" asked Shadri

"I did. She's ummm, not all there anymore."

"You think Liara will help you with that after everything that you've done." Replied Shay

She shrugged slightly as she let out a breath, "Liara is my only option, and I have information that I know she'll want."

Shay stepped closer to her and softly said: "You broke my heart and theirs."

"I didn't want to. I had no choice."

"No, you had a choice, and it was stupid." She took a heavy breath "You were supposed to protect this family, and you gave it away to the enemy. I trusted you, they trusted you, we all did. I looked Liara dead in her face and said your top crew would NEVER betray you but you did. You made me look like a damn fool!"

She scrunched her face as tears began to fill her eyes, and she leaned into her ex-lover then murmured, "Shay…"

She shook her head, "Don't. You want to speak with her then go right ahead, but I will NOT protect you from her."

-/

Vilio stood outside Liara's office door and began to chew on her nail as she waited. Her heart was beating rapidly as she had no idea what Liara would do to her. She began to softly mumble, "Oh my god, she going to fucking kill me. This is such a bad idea..." She watched as Shandri walked into her mistress's office. She peeked around the door frame and saw Liara working away at her computer as she sat at her L shaped desk.

"Liara, I have someone who needs to speak with you." Said Shandri

Liara's eyes peeked over her monitor for a brief moment then looked down at her arm terminal then over at her office line "I'm not showing any calls on hold."

Shandri cleared her throat, "You have a visitor, ma'am."

Liara pinched her brow markings as she placed her recently bitten sandwich down. She tapped at her data terminal to look at her calendar as she finished chewing then replied, "I don't have any appointments today. Did I miss something?"

Shay shook her head. "No ma'am, this was unexpected but I felt you would want to take this one."

She leaned back in her chair as she licked the glob of mustard from the corner of her mouth "Hmmm. Ok, bring them in." She said as she looked down at her shirt then brushed the crumbs away. "Oh, and who is here?" she asked as she wiped her mouth and leaned forward.

Shay let out a breath, "Vilio is here, ma'am."

Liara arched a brow marking as she rose from her chair when Vilio walked into her office. "Vi, long time no see as you are obviously… not dead."

Vi stood at parade rest near Liara's desk, and her heart began to beat faster. "Yes, ma'am. I come with news that might interest you." Her eyes widen at the speed she moved and was now looking down at vengeful eyes. She could no longer feel her feet touching the ground and she was grabbing at Liara's glowing hand that was now wrapped around her throat.

Liara's words were hot as she spoke, "How dare you come back here? I should kill you here and now!"

Vilio groaned when her body hit the nearest wall. She didn't dare make any fast movements as she knew Liara would take it as fighting back, and it would only enrage her more. Her hands hovered over her head as she spoke, "I know and there's nothing I can say or do to make up for what I did. I deserve every bit of whatever you do to me but I have news you must see and hear."

Liara looked her over as her eyes burned with anger. She took a deep breath, then said, "Get up." She backed away as she said, "First, I want you to tell me why. Why didn't you say something?"

She slowly got up then lowered her head, "I was scared mistress. I didn't know who was amongst the Eclipse in your crew. They had my info and said if I alerted you, then they would have killed her."

She turned on her heel then placed her hands on her desk "You could have come to me directly!"

"I didn't know what to do."

Liara shook her head, "You hurt us…all of us. I trusted you, and you betrayed us all."

"I know, and I can't change what I did. I hope one day you can forgive me and my ignorance."

Liara pushed off the desk as she said, "I may forgive you one day, but Shepard and Miranda are a different story. His brother is dead and her husband is dead because of you! Children have lost their father all because of you."

She pinched her brow markings as she winced "Alex's death was—"

Liara rose her finger swiftly. "Don't you dare! Your ignorance and betrayal got him killed. If you would have just come to me and said I need help with my sister, then this all could have been avoided."

Her lip quivered as she spoke, "I'm sorry..."

Liara quickly replied, "Sorry? The trauma you put us through! Years of therapy!" She let out a breath then said: "So, much heartache Vi."

Vi wiped the tears that were trailing down her face. "Mistress, I have no words to express the tear in my heart from the ripple effects of what I've done." She waved her hand at them "I know of the heartache as I've lost my family, my friends and my lover. All for my sister, who is currently lost in her own mind and as I've said before, I accept the consequences."

Liara nodded as she just looked at her then gave a slight grunt "What's done is done. There's no changing that." She walked around her desk and sat down "What do you have for me?"

"Before we begin, there's someone I want you to meet." She looked back at Shay, and Shay nodded at her, then turned and opened the door. She whispered, "Come in."

Liara looked at the young blue asari with her head down, and her hands clamped together. "Who is this?" asked Liara

Vilio placed a hand on the Asari's shoulder, "My youngest sister Betara and she is why I betrayed you all. You are all my family, and I should have come to you but I couldn't have her lost in Jona's horrific world. It took me a decade to find her. Easier after you all took care of Jona but the damage was already done. She's been living in a special home for the last several decades and I almost feel as if everything I did was for nothing…" she said as her voice cracked

Liara furrowed her brow markings as she noticed the young asari's fingers twitch as she began to mumble incoherent words. She looked at Vi as her frothy words released from her mouth, "Are you wanting my sympathy?"

Vi opened her mouth, then closed it at her sheer coldness then said, "No, ma'am. I..."

"You what? Hmm? Want to show me how your sister is worse off than Milizkia or Shepard?"

She shook her head "No ma'am, it's just—"

"It's just what?" She hissed, "You come here to provide me with information, but yet you want to show me your sister first because you want me to feel bad for you?"

Vi looked at Shay then back at Liara. "I'm sorry... I didn't come to you before, but I do now."

Liara scoffed. "Because you want my help?"

Vi pinched her brow markings as she looked at Liara, then she glanced at her ex-lover. She shook her head slightly, "I... I... knew asking was going to be difficult, but I assumed if I brought you this pertinent information that maybe you could look passed my error to help my sister."

Liara arched a brow when Betrea started rocking in place and began to twitch, "What's wrong with her?"

Vi shrugged, "Who knows, but she didn't use to do this before. She hasn't spoken anything coherent since I found her. The doctors say that's it's a combination of terror, trauma, overuse of drugs, mental damage and who knows what else."

Liara pinched her brow markings slightly as she thought of Milizkia and her struggle after Benezia stopped helping her. How much worse it could have been if she didn't make it bearable for her. Mili was an acting drug user for years during her time with Jona but Betara was forced, injected probably. So many things Mili was obligated to do in her time amongst the Eclipse and the horrible things Betara was forced to do. She closed her eyes briefly at the memory of the emptiness and soulless humans and asari they found when they searched for Mili. She looked over at Vilio when she addressed her "Mistress? For the information, I'm going to give you. I'm asking for help for my sister, please."

Liara clamped her eyes as her kind generosity outweighed her hateful scorn. "Vi… I will provide whatever help your sister may need with or without the information but preferably with." She looked at Shay, "Shay, call Dr. Caliix and have her scan her, and let's see what we can do to get her better. Call Ry if need be…"

Shay nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Liara looked at Vilio. "Now, tell me about this information that you have that's so important."

Vilio nodded, "Thank you, kindly ma'am. I'll begin with the Eclipse leader."

"Yes, I know of the shift in leadership. Serey Lotora, what about her?"

"I've been monitoring the Eclipse for the last eight… almost nine decades." She looked at Liara, "I've actually been one of your secret informants for T'Soni Analytics, but this I had to bring to you personally."

Liara leaned back in her chair as she steepled her finger, then said, "So far, Vi, you've told me nothing that I don't already know." She slowly leaned her chair forward as she coolly said: "Get to the point."

She cleared her throat, "Ummm…The new leader of the Eclipse, you know personally."

Liara pinched her brow markings as she looked at Shay then back at Vilio, "Do I?" She replied as she slowly swirled her index finger and her thumb together. Her fingers stopped as she stared at Vilio. "Well, let's not keep me in suspense, keep going."

"Oh, ummm, right. She's been the leader for the last seven years." Vi pointed to Liara's vid wall, "May I?"

She nodded, "Go ahead."

Vi tapped at her Omni tool then swiped her info up on to the wall, and it displayed a purple asari "Serey Lotora, a vicious asari just like her mother. You might recognize her as Jeserie T'Seius."

Liara's mouth dropped open, and she stood as her eyes squinted. She stared at the asari then looked at the black lace that covered eighty percent of her face and crest "No... Jes took the Eclipse? How long has she been a member of their crew?"

Vi nodded. "She's been in the Eclipse for the last twenty-two years and her mother brought her in. She played the part and excelled in rank just as Mili did with precision and timing. I'm guessing Aria helped her with the ropes and how to do what and when. She was nowhere near as quick and talented as Mili, but she got want she wanted in time. She waited for the perfect moment to strike down Jaime and the Eclipse cheered when she did."

Liara scoffed. "How stupid could they be? This defeats the whole purpose of maintaining the death of Milizkia T'Loak, locking away Camillia Tourneau, and using the T'Seuis family name." She shook her head then continued, "What the hell are they thinking? If anyone ever finds out who she really is, then it could put Mili in danger."

Vilio nodded, "I know and it doesn't help that Jeserie is the spitting image of her mother. You could put the same markings on her face as Aria and she could pass as her."

She gave a quick side nod, "Very true. Anyone with half a brain has to know that is Aria's daughter." Liara bobbed her finger "Now I understand why she never put markings on her face. She was waiting for direction from her mother. She can take up the T'Loak name but Mili is the only one that can strike her from the lineage." She grunted as she grimaced, "… and she will need to in order to maintain secrecy." She let out a breath as she shook her head "Mili is going to be...upset and to think she thought she saved her from that life."

Vilio flipped to more information then pointed to Kol Blackstone, and before she could speak, Liara did "Kol Blackstone."

Vi nodded, "Yes, I saw the event that went down at Alcazar. You didn't—"

Liara nodded, "I know he's not dead, and I know that's Cameron Alexander Shepard."

"Ok, so you're up to speed there." She pointed to Jess then Kol. "These two…are lovers."

Liara's eyes grew wide. "What? Please tell me you're kidding. They're brother and sister."

She shook her head, "No, but you know it doesn't work that way." Vi tapped at her Omni tool, "Now to the interesting part."

"Because this isn't interesting enough. What else is there?"

"This..." she said as she swiped the info to the wall. "Ilos. They visit it frequently."

Liara smiled "Please tell me you have something because I've been dying to know what they have found."

Vi looked at Shay and smiled then looked back at Liara. "They take the Conduit there. When you arrived at Alcazar two years ago. I followed them there and let me tell you, they were in a hurry to leave. They were terrified of what you all were going to do to them if you found them."

"Is there a crew on Ilos?"

"Surprisingly, there's not, but I'm assuming it's because they don't want to alert anyone of their presence. I'm going to assume they're monitoring it though."

"What's there?" asked Liara

"Oh, you're are never going to believe what's there." She pinched at her omni tool screen then tossed it on the wall "This."

Liara scrunched her brow markings as she walked closer to the screen and looked at the familiar ruin. "I've seen similar ruins like this before."

"Have you?"

Liara ran her hand over her mouth as she said, "mmHmm… In my early years of college. I traveled to many historical sites." She lifted her hand "Sites such as these with unanswered questions of Why, Who, and What. No one knew what it was and thought it was just a display of boulders or other things. There were other mysterious sites with similarities but not exactly like this." She thought to herself as she looked at the vid-wall. _How many did you find in your adventures, Cam?_ She glanced at a picture of Miranda then quickly tapped at her arm terminal and typed _Seek out Cameron's unique adventure sites. Check video logs. Begin with Dead Man's Hallow._

"After your fight with them, I carefully followed them there. Extremely difficult when they have varren with them. I had to stay back at a significant distance and almost lost them. I don't know what it is exactly, but the two of them went into this slither in the wall and only Lotora came out. I went back in after she left to inspect the area and there was nothing but this. But—"

"What is the significance of this? Where on Ilos is this item?" asked Liara

She looked at Liara. "I'm getting to that, and this is a ways outside the city in a crack within the side of an enormous planetary wall. Mistress, I heard them talking while I was in there. Their voices echoed throughout the cave. They want to bring you in but he's struggling to forgive."

Liara scrunched her face as she curled her lip, then snarled, "Struggling to forgive?" She paused then scoffed, "He beat his father then his sister almost to death, and he's struggling to forgive?"

Vilio looked down, then said, "That's what I heard."

She grunted, "I find that hard to believe. These two have acted against us, and they will be forever exiled from this family. They are my bondmate's children and I will do nothing to them but when Benezia finds out, she will feel otherwise." Liara closed her eyes briefly "Goddess, how do I wake Miranda to this?"

"I'm sorry." Replied Vilio. She paused briefly, then continued, "They don't quite understand what it is. She said this was more than a relay. That he'd be gone for months and to be careful of the unknown and boy is she right about that."

She pinched her brow markings at her words, "More than a relay?" Liara gasped. "They found another relay of some type?" she pointed to the vid wall "This… this is it isn't it?"

She nodded, "It's something…"

"Do you have any idea where it goes?" asked Liara

She shook her head "No, unlike the regular mass relays, this one needs to be activated somehow. Anyone that goes through is not shown the process. You're blindfolded until you get to the destination."

Shay looked at Liara "Mistress, the artifacts Benezia found and that he stole from Gwyn."

Liara pulled at her bottom lip, "Do you think?"

Shay shrugged, "It's a possibility."

Vi rose her finger "There's more." She pinched her screen on her omni tool and threw the info on the wall. "There's a new company called Oveo Inc."

Liara nodded, "Yes, I've heard of it. They're a mining company of some sort. What about it?"

Vi scoffed. "Yes, you could say that. This new company is the Obsidian Void, Eclipse, and Omega. They are working together and this company is their way of doing that under wraps to avoid conflict in order to get supplies and to do what they need to do."

Liara's eyes flashed then cocked her head. "Interesting… this company came to my attention for possible funding but the board denied their request."

"Well, maybe you should follow up on that request." Replied Vilio

Liara tapped her finger on her lips, "Maybe I should."

"They have been mining the belt for the last six years."

Liara pinched her brow markings "Asteroid belt mining?" she said as she grabbed her data terminal and began to tap away at it.

Vilio nodded, "Yes, but not sure why. Minerals or something, but it's important."

"Minerals?" Replied Liara as she shook her head, "No, the main reason to truly mine asteroids is for water. Yes, they have other minerals, but they contain massive amounts of water. Crystalized, of course, then that is broken down and purified. The asteroid belts have billions upon billions of gallons worth of water."

"Water ma'am?" asked Shay

"Yes, and not many people know that, but it's a viable option if our galaxy ever begins to run low on water because, without water, we are all dead. We as a galaxy cannot function without it, period. Our bodies require it and we need it to create air. Air for the non-atmospheric stations such as the Citadel." She looked at her data terminal "In our current situation, we are substantially well off on our water resources especially with the recycling of waste and purifying. Now, we currently export and import water to certain areas of the galaxy due to those areas having water constraints. Omega, Alcazar, Citadel and numerous other planets and space stations, but there is currently no need to mine for it on asteroids when there are frozen planets that are easier to deal with."

Vi rose her brow markings. "You know all this, how?"

Liara smirked, "Because I'm a partner with Water and Air Corp. They are a highly profitable business. They came to me many years ago for a loan to build a new facility. I told them I'd provide the loan if and only if they made me a partner." She smiled. "So, I know all about the air and water business. The question is, why are they mining for a resource that doesn't need it?"

"Well, obviously it's because they're going around Water and Air and obtaining it themselves. Whatever they're doing, they're taking it through the relay."

Liara smirked, "Wherever they went is in need of water, and they're selling it. That's the only reasonable option. That and they must also need local currency…"

"Massive amounts of shipments and people have gone through. Liara, it's not just mercenaries, and I would say almost the opposite. I'm guessing maybe a couple hundred people or more." She sent more info on the wall then Liara looked over and read the flyer as Vi said, "Opportunity. People in need jumped at it. The lower class was easy to round up for workers. Workers for the belt. Workers to build. People to keep order and to provide protection. The struggle were the professionals."

Liara rubbed her fingers together as she scrunched her eyes then said: "They're colonizing…" She looked at Vi, "Please tell me you went through."

Vi smiled, "I have."

Liara's brow markings shot up "And?"

She blinked several times as she slowly shook her head "They've discovered a whole different planetary system."

Her mouth dropped open, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, "There are creatures there I've never seen before and a different species they trade with."

Liara smiled as she ran her hands over her crest as she excitedly replied, "Unbelievable! Do you have any idea where you might have been?"

She shook her head as she shrugged. "I never went off-planet, but I would say a cluster somewhere… ummmm Andromeda, maybe?"

Her eyes flashed, "Andromeda? That's over 2.5 million light-years away." She quickly tapped at her arm terminal. "That's roughly… six hundred…and thirty-four years away. The Andromeda initiative is still in transit there, and you're telling me you've been there and back?"

Vilio gave a quick shrug. "I've been somewhere and back, that's all I know. Without an astrophysicist to tell me where I've been, I have no idea, but I know the stars are ones I've never seen before. I could have been closer than Andromeda or further away. Liara nothing of ours works there, nothing. So, I know it's not in the Milky Way galaxy. I know that for a fact."

Liara cocked her head to the side "Nothing works? Like how do you mean? Communication?"

"Yes, our omni tools don't work there. They've built their own network there, but it doesn't travel back here. Once you walk through, you are cut off to this galaxy." She pulled out a clear rectangular hand terminal and placed it on Liara's desk "These are what's used there and only these."

Liara gasped as she picked the clear hand terminal up and looked it over. "These are Gwynne's. I remember her telling me a company purchased a massive amount of them a few years back." She took a breath "Omni tools were never meant to be for the civilians but were dumbed down for them. They are too expensive, and our companies have heard that time and again over the decades. Gwyn thought it would be a good idea to go backward in tech in order to supply a cheaper way of communication." Liara pointed to the hand terminal "These have been on the market for the last…six years I believe maybe longer. Her company was praised by the lower class because these are a mere fraction of the cost of an omni tool but she was ripped by the companies that build the omni tools." Liara picked up the hand terminal "These are easier to break than an omni tool. Easier to lose because you have to keep up with it unlike an omni tool."

Vi nodded. "Therefore, they're constantly being purchased?"

"Exactly. They're made of some sort of polycarbonate material, and they work off her network. Omni tools are being phased out, and these are the new thing." Liara pulled her hand terminal out of her cloaked arm sleeve then said, "This is the newest one she gave me. Different than that one of course. Mine has the same abilities as an omni tool but requires accessories to do what an omni tool does. Such as a cloaking holder if you want that option." Liara bent her hand terminal "Mine is flexible in order to easily bend around the arm." She touched the other hand terminal "This one is one of the first models that came out or a basic model." Liara slid her data tablet terminal toward Vilio "What about this. Do they use these as well?"

Vi nodded, "Yes, but only the higher-ups."

Liara nodded, "These have practically replaced the datapad. These are called data terminals and come in various sizes, Terminals being Gwyn's word to differentiate between other companies. These can work with each other. No need to send a message to someone standing nearby; you just swipe it to them. In a company board meeting, you can just swipe to every terminal in the room on the network. Her network is everywhere now in this galaxy."

Shay tapped at her temple, and Liara nodded. Her hand came up to her temple, and she dislodged her transmitter "What about this? Do you see anyone with this?"

Vi nodded "Yes, only Kol and Jess have these, but they're not cloaked like yours. What are they?"

"They are neurotransmitters. Also, integrated into Gwyn's network and highly expensive." Liara looked at Shay then at Vi. "Is Gwyn part of this project, and she's not aware? I know my Gwynne and she would have told me."

Vi shook her head "I'm not sure ma'am. I'm going to assume someone from her company is working with them if her network is needed for these to function."

Liara quickly narrowed her eyes as she said, "I see. I'll call Gwyn about this."

Shay looked over at Liara, staring at the pictures and info on the wall. She smirked, "Your mind is about to explode, isn't it? You want to hop on a ship and go there. Don't you?"

She huffed as she placed her hands on her hips "Yes! This is a monumental find. Of course, I want to go!" She shook her head, then said, "But how?"

Shay placed a hand on her shoulder "I know you'll find a way."

"One last thing." She swiped more information on the screen, "T'Seius Corp is a part of this project."

Liara's head jerked back, "What? Are you sure?"

"Positive. Her name is on every piece of machinery."

Liara scrunched her face then tapped at her arm terminal. She paced the room then tapped the side of her leg as she waited for her daughter to answer.

"Hi, mom." Answered Benezia

Liara gave a quick smile, "Nezzie. I need to speak with you and Mil. Is she around?"

"Yes, she is." She said as she waved her bondmate over, "Babe, mom needs to speak with us."

Mil walked over "Hey, mom. What can we do for you?"

"I just sent both of you some information, and I want to know if you knew anything about it." said her mother.

Milizkia grabbed her data terminal when it dinged. "Yes, I know about this. We approved of this project..." She looked at Benezia. "I don't know… what was it like Umm six years ago?" She looked back at Liara, "Why?"

"Why?" Liara huffed as she swiped the feed from her arm terminal on to the wall "How come you didn't tell me about this?"

Benezia scrunched her brow markings as did Mili. "Why would we need to tell you about the businesses we conduct?"

Liara's eyes flashed "Are you serious? A project of this magnitude, and you didn't want to involve me or even care to tell me about it!"

Mili looked at Benezia then Liara as her hands rose. "Ok, hold up. We didn't know you would be this upset about it. My mother came to me and told me she was investing in some new company called Oveo inc. They needed machinery for mining and were constructing new buildings for a surveying team. She thought the T'Seius construction company was the perfect company to send their way and to make money. They gave of us x amount of money to rent the machinery, and we also get ten percent of whatever is found. I didn't think much of it. All the paperwork panned out. I don't understand what the problem is."

"Oveo inc, huh?" Said Liara with an arched brow marking.

"Mom, What the hell is this about?" snipped Benezia

Liara quickly replied, "Well, obviously, you two are in the blind about this!"

"Apparently. So, what do you know that we don't." Asked Benezia

"You two are providing equipment for this "new" company Oveo inc, which is The Obsidian Void, Eclipse, and Omega."

Their heads jerked back, "What?"

"Yes, from the information I have, they're mining for water in the asteroid belts then transporting it off galaxy."

Benezia blinked several times then quickly said: "I'm sorry, did you say off galaxy?"

Liara nodded, "Yes, off galaxy!"

"Woah, how? where?" Asked Benezia

"I just found out a few minutes ago by Vilio. She's been to this new place. They're getting there by some galaxy relay on Ilos. Those artifacts we found could have possibly opened that door."

"I knew it! I had a feeling it was something important..." replied Benezia excitedly.

"So, my mother lied to me?" Grumbled Mili

"No, she just didn't tell you the whole truth. They are mining for water in the belts, and they are building for a surveying team or maybe even colonizing."

Benezia scoffed, "Unbelievable and by THEM none the less."

"I know," replied her mother. She paused for a brief moment then let out a breath as she leaned on her desk "Mil, there's something you need to know."

"And what is that?" asked Milizkia

"Jessie is the leader of the Eclipse."

Mil eyes flashed. "What!"

She nodded, "She's been a sister for the last twenty-two years and leader for the last seven." She let out a breath, "There's something else..."

"And what the hell is that?" snapped Milizkia

"Cameron is Kol Blackstone, the leader of The Void."

Benezia's face fell, and she took several ragged breaths as tears began to build in her eyes and she held on to the word then released it softly "What…" She scrunched her face as pain trickled through her heart "He... hurt Anna... and Dad?"

Liara nodded slowly. "Yes... he is caught up in this rage with what his mother did. Shepard was…extremely crushed when he found out. He mentioned that Cameron is taking some sort of drug or something that probably impairing his mind."

"He beat Anna because he thought she never liked him, but he's wrong. That's just her way of hard love. She'll be heartbroken when she finds out." She paused, then looked at her mother "That's why you wanted me to stop that day. You thought I killed him."

She nodded, "Yes…" She glanced at Mili. "Jessie is working with him on this whole operation."

Benezia rubbed her hand over her heart as she murmured, "Our own family… betrayed us."

Mili grimaced as she took a few steps away, "Goddamn it, Jessie."

Benezia followed her bondmate then leaned against her back "I won't do anything to her…"

She grunted, "nMmm I know you better than that but thank you for saying it."

Benezia pulled away from her bondmate, "I won't unless she gives me a reason to..." she looked at her mother, "Who else is involved?"

Liara began to tear up as she slowly shook her head. Benezia arched her brow markings at her, then she closed her eyes when she placed her face in her hands as her shoulders dropped "Sam..."

Liara quickly replied, "Nezzie...we're not for certain."

Her hurt instantly turned into hate as she flared her nostrils, "Damn her! Mom, she's the only one that's worked at every one of our major company's. She's their fucking inside person! So, don't cover for her! We handle this NOW! Bring her ass in along with every sister. We will gather at the estate, and there WILL be a punishment."

"Please don't be rash."

"Don't be rash? Are you fucking kidding me?" She quickly swiped her hand in front of her "I'm done with her! She could have gotten me killed decades ago and now Dad and Anna. No, fuck her!"

"Nez—"

"No, mom! She did this to all of us! Do you know how pissed off and hurt the others are going to be? Gwyn was devastated when her precious stuff was stolen. Millions of credits worth of equipment were stolen from us and all because of Sam..." she paused then looked at her mother "Mother, she knows about Miranda and the facility. Everything we know is in jeopardy! The facility, our businesses, where we all live, our family home….everything. Our enemies know us very well. They know the layout of our estate and how many commandos we have. They have leverage on how we operate and how we think. So, be ready when they decide to infiltrate us!"

Liara's face dropped, and her heart began to beat faster "They wouldn't..."

She scoffed, "Yea, right. Cam, I get it; he's fucked up and trying to play out his issues through violence. Jessie, shit, she's wanted to be her mother ever since she was born." She shook her head, "But Sam? She doesn't fucking know which way is up. She's always been a follower and getting strung around but some idiot. That's her damn problem, she can never see through the damn fog of idiocy in her brain. She doesn't do it out of spite or hate, mother. She does it because Cam asked her to, and she doesn't want him to be angry with her. But apparently, she doesn't care what we think. She obviously doesn't THINK about the consequences of her actions. She's a goddamn entitled, lazy, worthless little shit and she thinks that her I'm sorry and her I didn't know bullshit will get her out of this. Well, fuck that!"

Liara pumped her hands out in front of her as she replied, "Ok ok!" She turned to Shay, "Shay, get Teyr and a crew to find out if she's on planet or off and have them bring her to me. Tell Ty to not call Nori for a heads up. I want her crew to just show up. If she's deeply involved, I don't want her to have a chance to alert Kol or to run. As soon as you're done, get a crew over to the facility to check on Miranda."

Shay nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Liara pulled at her lip as her mind raced then looked at Benezia. Then her daughter spoke gently. "Mom, something needs to be done about this. Kol is vengeful, and his goal is to obviously do harm to this family. We can not allow her to continue to help him. Her continued actions will bring this family down."

She let out a long breath as she closed her eyes briefly "I know and I have to think about this. Do me a favor and call your sisters and have them come to the house. Inform them of a family meeting and that I need to speak with everyone. I will make my announcement to everyone tonight or whenever Sam is on property."

Benezia nodded, "Ok. I'll see you later."

—/

Teyr and three other commandos arrived at Samreya's highrise condominium. She walked up to the door and hit the security button. A dark purple asari appeared on the security display "Hello? Oh, Ty! This is unexpected. Just a second and I'll let you in." Said Nori, Sam's shadow.

Ty walked through the door as Nori walked up and glanced at the other commandos. "Umm, what's going on? Why are you here?"

"We're here to retrieve Sam and to bring her back to the estate at the request of Lady Liara. Where is she?" Teyr said sternly

She glanced over at her door then replied: "Ummm, she's occupied at the moment."

Ty arched a brow marking and firmly said: "Well, go get her or we will."

She looked around at all of them "Ok, can I ask what this is about? By your tone, it sounds like she's in trouble."

Ty grimaced, "Nori, you're her shadow; you should know what this is about, and if you don't, then your lack of duty will be reprimanded. I honestly hope you know nothing of what she's done because if you do then your sentence will be grave and carried out by Lady Liara or worse Benezia."

Her eyes flashed, "Wait, what? Look, I knew, but I honestly didn't think it was that big of a deal."

Ty's brow markings shot up as she spat out, "You didn't think it was that big of a deal? Are you fucking ignorant!" She pointed to her, then looked at one of the commandos "Restrain her." She glanced at the other two commandos, "You two retrieve Sam." Ty walked over to Nori "Nori, by acknowledging your involvement you have been charged with the betrayal of The T'Soni family, numerous accounts of theft and severe harm to the General and Annabelle T'Soni."

Her eyes were wide, and her mouth gaping "What? No, no, no ... what? I didn't even know she had anything to do with all that." Her breaths became quick, "Oh my god...wait, please... I swear I had nothing to do with any of that. What I was referring to is the relationship with Thomas Crispin."

Ty quickly looked over at the two commandos and said: "Wait!" She looked back at Nori, "Thomas Crispin?" She pointed to the room, "Is he in there?"

Nori shook her head "No, but he was here several weeks ago."

Ty shook her head. "Nori, this is going to be bad for you. How could you not know what she's been doing?"

Nori wept. "I don't listen to her phone calls. Everything else is her normal routine. Shopping, hanging out with her friends, partying, going out, and very rarely work."

Ty tapped at her arm terminal and rang Lady Liara. "Mistress, we are here and about to retrieve Sam, but some information has come up that you must know. Sam has been conversing with Thomas Crispin. It could be nothing but could be something."

Liara flared her nostrils "Bring my daughter and Nori back here on the double the others are arriving. I will get to the bottom of this." She replied before she ended the call.

Nori looked up, "The others are arriving? What others?"

Ty looked at Nori and said, "This is an immediate family gathering. If for some miraculous reason, they don't kill you, then you will probably be released and marked. Your servitude as a family protector will be over. Being released from a high standing family such as a T'Soni will be ever damaging to your record, and no family will ever bring you in as a protector."

Nori ran her hands over her crest as she cried, "Oh my god...I need to speak with Lady Liara or Shay. Please...I need to explain."

The nearest commando grabbed her hands and clamped biotic cuffs on her as Teyr replied, "Lady Liara will hear and see your side of the story when we get there. If she refuses to hear your story, then you will be placed in a holding cell at the estate until she does."

The other two commandos walked up to Sam's door and pounded on it; then, one yelled, "Samreya T'Soni! We are here to retrieve you. Stop whatever it is you're doing. If you're not dressed, then get dressed and exit immediately. You have thirty seconds to comply, then we override this lock and forcefully retrieve you."

Sam exited quickly with her robe on and saw her shadow in biotic cuffs and frantically said: "What the fuck is this?"

Ty walked up to her, "Get dressed now!"

She crossed her arms "How about you get the hell out of my place!"

Ty flared her nostrils then pointed to her, "Retrain her how she is." She walked into her room and looked at the young yellow-haired male in her bed, "Get dressed and get out!"

Sam pulled at her restraints, "Ow! Are you fucking kidding me? My mother will hear about this!"

Ty smirked, "Your mother is the one who sent us." She swiped at Sam's temple and removed her neuro piece, then removed her arm terminal."

She jerked her head back "What the fuck? You're just going to take my things? I'm so fucking telling my mom about this!"

Teyr shook her head as she rolled her eyes, then said, "Samreya T'Soni, by order of Lady Liara, you are being placed under restrictive care until further notice. We will be escorting you back to the estate where you will wait until further proceedings."

She pinched her brow markings and replied, "Restrictive care? Further proceedings? What the—" her face dropped as she stopped mid-sentence, and her heart began to race when she finally realized that what she's done caught up to her. Her breathing picked up, "I need to talk to my mother." She jerked at her restraints, "I want to talk to my mother now!"

The two commandos grabbed each side of her arm and lead her forward, then Teyr spoke, "You will speak to her when she's ready to speak to you. If you don't settle down, then I will put you out."

She shrieked as she began to cry, "No, no, no, wait! You don't understand…" Her eyes went wide when she saw a small medical type gun get placed against her arm "What the fuck is that?" Her body went limp when the small gun hissed.

—/

Samreya walked into her mother's living room and instantly saw all of her sisters then her mother standing as they waited for her to arrive. Sam instantly said "Mom—"

Liara quickly rose her hand, "Don't speak until I am finished. Samreya T'Soni, you've been brought here because you have been accused of severe betrayal to this family. It began several decades ago when you conspired with Thomas Crispin on the capture and removal of Benezia's blood. Which those actions were never completed because she found out and killed them all."

Sam quickly replied, "I didn't—"

"Not another word!" Demanded Liara. She glared at her "Next, you conspired with I'm assuming Thomas Crispin again with the theft of Gwendolyn's items."

Gwyn gasped as she looked at her younger sister, "You didn't, Sammie..."

Sam lowered her head, and Gwyn furrowed her brow markings as she began to tear up. "Why? Why would you do that to me? I trusted you!"

Liara continued, "The theft within T'Seius Corp, theft within my companies, Miranda's and the theft at Rileseya Medical group."

Riley placed her hands on her hips as she shook her head "What is wrong with you?"

"Samreya, your gravest betrayal to this family was you conspiring with Kol Blackstone of Obsidian Void and Serey Lotora of The Eclipse to harm this family."

The sisters gasped as the repeatedly blinked. "What the fuck were you thinking?" Hissed Anna

Liara rose her finger at Anna as she looked at everyone. "Kol Blackstone is Cameron Shepard, and Serey Lotora is Jeserie T'Seius."

Anna's head jerked back as she let out a heavy breath, "What...?" She stumbled back slightly, then sat down. She placed her face in her hands and mumbled: "Why?" Benezia sat next to her as her mother continued.

Liara glanced at her eldest then said at Sam, "You've been accused of being involved with having Shepard and Anna harmed."

Anna grit her teeth and quickly stood. She stormed toward her as she growled out, "Oh, you little bitch!"

Benezia quickly grabbed ahold of her eldest sister's arm as it was about to come toward Sam, "I know but hold back. Maintain..."

Anna pulled against her sister's arms that were restraining her as she spat out, "Fuck you, Sam!"

Sam repeatedly flinched at her raging sister near her, "I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me."

Anna jerked around as she snarled, "Get the fuck off me, Nezzie!"

Liara walked over to her as she said, "Anna, settled down! We're all upset here." She pat Benezia's arm, "Release her."

Anna stood there for a moment as her breaths were heavy, then she turned and walked back to the others. Liara closed her eyes briefly as she let out a breath then mumbled "Goddess…" She ran her hands over her face then down her crest, "You told Cameron where his mother is, didn't you?" Asked Liara

Sam looked at her mother with tears streaming down her face "I'm sorry..."

Liara clamped her hands together and squeezed as took a deep breath "Samreya T'Soni from this day forward, you are no longer apart of this family as our trust for you is now nil. The T'Soni family name will be stripped from you, and you will no longer be affiliated with it."

"Mom, please don't!" Pleaded Sam

"You will be blacklisted from every one of our companies and Miranda's companies." Said Liara.

Sam quickly looked around the room, "Wait... please. I'm sorry."

They all just shook their heads at her as their mother continued, "Due to your actions, your T'Soni financial status will also be stripped from you. Your high living quarters and transportation will also be removed from you. The financial monies given to you by your father will be removed from you as well. From now on, you live as any other low-end asari would. I will set a budget, and if you cannot maintain that budget, then you will need to go get a job. Your housing will be in the lower end of town and if you wish to not live there, then you can find somewhere else to live. If you do not like these conditions that I have set then go join your brother on Alcazar." She looked at Shay and firmly said: "Get her out of my house!"

Samreya quickly walked toward her mother as she reached for her "Wait... please. Mom... please let me explain."

Liara pushed her hands away, "Explain?" Replied her mother, "What is there to explain? You helped them, did you not?"

"Yea, but... He said it was just materialistic things. So, what's it matter." She said as she shrugged. "I didn't have anything to do with what happened to Shepard or Anna. I swear!" She looked at Anna as tears streamed down her face, "I didn't."

Gwyn stepped forward, "You knew of the things I had in my office. You knew how important they were to me."

"He said you could just remake them, and it wouldn't be that big of a deal." She shrugged, "I didn't know what he was going to do with them."

Anna's hand dropped to her side "You can't be this fucking stupid! He's built a fucking army with your help. That's what you're not fucking understanding!"

Benezia stood and calmly walked toward to her "Tell us why you did this. I want an explanation because what you're providing isn't enough."

Sam looked around at everyone as she trembled. "He's my brother..."

Benezia rose her brow markings as she scoffed, "Your brother?" She waved her hand around at the other sisters, "And what the fuck are we? Chopped liver?" She narrowed her eyes at her, and you could hear the anger and hurt in her tone as she continued, "Cameron is Shepard and Miranda's son with their blood flowing through him. You have fragments of Miranda in you and T'Soni blood flowing in you. We are your blood sisters, he is NOT! We carry the lineage of our name, he does NOT! He's not a fucking T'Soni. We are!" She looked down as she quickly gathered herself. "You are a damn disgrace to this family. Everything that I've done for you... that we've done for you and you do this to us." She shook her head as a few tears trickled down her face "You broke every one of our hearts and I'm grateful that our mother is removing you from our family because you don't deserve to be in it. From this day forward, you are no longer my sister." She scornfully said then wiped her tears away.

Sam wiped the snot that was dripping from her nose as she sniffled then whimpered, "Nezzie, I'm sorry... please don't." She looked at her other sisters then her mother "I'm so sorry. Please…"

The pain was radiating throughout her body as her daughter whimpered before her. She held her breath to push down her emotions. She turned her head and let out the breath she was holding then replied, "Sorry isn't going to cut it this time, baby. My word stands."

Benezia looked her over, then slammed her hand on her chest and pushed her against the wall "Reveal to me everything."

Sam gasped when her sister invaded her mind. When she was finished, Sam dropped to the floor in a weeping mess as Benezia towered above her "Tell me, Sam… what's the seed he wants you to plant? Hmm..?" She looked back at her mother that was now rattled by her swift actions "Something for mom, I'm assuming."

She shook as she wept, "I don't know! He said he'd call me back when he was ready."

Liara pinched her brow markings "A seed?"

Benezia grunted, "nMhmm, and he wants to watch it grow."

Liara crossed her arms as she replied: "Ahh, he wants me to follow something that leads to my demise probably."

She bent down, "What's he have waiting for me? Hmmm? Where's he going to place me?"

"I don't know, but he's not worried about you." sobbed Sam

"Really? Interesting, and I think I know why." She said as she looked at Anna then Gwyn. She looked at her mother "She didn't resist, and I've seen everything. She's naive as usual. He took advantage of her is what he did. She's too blind to see beyond his bullshit as always but she's still a risk."

Liara nodded, "Sam, my word still stands. You will live this way until I say otherwise." She pointed to Nori, "Nori, I've seen your version, and you will remain with her until further notice. Gwyn, they'll both need a basic hand terminal." She said as she gave a quick brow marking raise at her and her daughter acknowledged. She turned to Shandri and said, "Please, get her out of my sight."

-/

The instant Sam was removed from their home, Liara walked to the fireplace mantle and leaned on it. She took several ragged breaths as tears trickled down her face. She stood there as the pain continued to stream from her eyes. She turned her head slightly when one of her daughters said: "Mother, there's something else."

Liara wiped her face then sniffled as she turned "What else?"

Benezia stepped toward her as she replied: "She befriended Thomas again to gain internal information, and he refused multiple times but after some sexual deeds he gave in." She took a deep breath, "Mother, she's not as stupid as she plays out to be. She's very persuasive and cunning actually, vindictive even. She got Thomas to go back on his word to us. Knowing damn well what we would do to him if we ever found out. She has a darkness within her; it's extremely faint but it's there." She looked down then at her mother, "The same darkness I battle within myself."

Liara looked down and softly said, "I know that darkness. It's a bundle of things. Rage, hate, hurt, loss..."

Benezia slowly shook her head "No mother not that type of darkness." She glanced at her bondmate then at everyone else "The darkness I speak of is death, fear, and power. The sense of gratitude when you take the life of someone through sheer power and the feeling is overwhelmingly satisfying. That's the darkness I speak of, but she has both."

Liara furrowed her brow markings as she walked toward her daughter, "Benezia, why didn't you come to me about this?"

"What was I supposed to tell you? That I actually enjoy it when I kill someone with my bare hands. Hmm? To look in someone's eyes and see them quiver in fear. Is there something wrong with me? Yes, I already know there is. I don't go around killing random people just for the fuck sake of it, but give me a reason to do so, and I will jump at it."

Her eyes widen, then she looked at Mili. "Did you know about this?"

Mili nodded, "I've known for decades. We have the same darkness, but hers is more visible than mine and why she visits the Armax when she does. It's not only to practice but to feed that hunger on bots instead of living beings."

Liara shook her head and softly said, "I know of what you speak. I've had the same sensation." She looked at her other daughters then at Anna. "Have you had this feeling? Any of you when you've practiced at the Arena? How about you Anna when you're in the field?"

They shook their heads, and all replied, "No." Their mother nodded then said, "It must be something with the golden gene and biotics because the feeling is different when you use a weapon than when you use biotics." She looked at Benezia and Milizkia when they nodded, "Benezia, you can sense that gene. You knew I had it, and you knew Mili had it. That means Sam is a carrier. Has she—"

Benezia quickly shook her head "No, she hasn't found her box."

Liara ran her hand over her mouth "This could change everything if she ever does. Especially if she joins Cameron."

"We need to keep her away to reduce risk but close enough to maintain coverage." Replied Anna

Liara narrowed her eyes as she pulled at her lip "Shit...I can't let her just go without punishment, but I can't go through with what I've told her. Especially with this new information, this would only give Cameron more leverage. What if I just…I don't know bumped her up to middle class?"

Benezia shrugged, "Tough choice. I know you said join Cameron, but that was a psych threat. If life gets too hard for her, then she just may. You pulled this similar method with Anna but she actually learned from it, will Sam? We grew up with everything and we are used to getting what we want. Our pockets run deep and are unlimited but when it's all taken away, we attempt to cope but it's not our way of life. She is not Anna or anyone of your stronger willed daughter's."

Liara let out a long breath as she placed her hands on her hips and nodded. "I know, and out of all of you, she's the worst. She has no strive to be independent or make something of herself but maybe it's because I let her take the normal asari route instead of the Academy like you four. You all wanted to be somebody, a Spectre, a CEO, a Doctor, and an Inventor…" She paused then glanced at her younger two that were sitting on a couch in complete shock "This family meeting doesn't leave this room. Do you understand?"

They both quickly nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Liara began to pull at her lip. "She's eighty-five years old and hasn't accomplished a damn thing. Well, except school, and that was a struggle. I honestly don't know what to do with her. I expected more from her."

"I don't know mom... maybe that's what she wants us all to think. She played all of us, and we never even caught on that it was her until recently. Sneaky bitch." said Benezia

Liara grimaced, "True." She looked over at Shay and said: "Keep them here in restrictive care until I figure out how to handle this."

Riley stepped forward, "You're right; she's not like us, and if you exile her completely, then she will wither away into that darkness you speak of. She's the type that needs company and why she's constantly with someone, whether it's a friend or with one of us. I honestly don't think it was just to infiltrate because she attempted to work with us before this all happened with Miranda." She glanced at Benezia "She takes to you especially Nezzie and you know that." She looked at everyone then said, "I'm hurt and I'm upset with what she's done but I think some of your terms are extreme. I understand blacklisting her from our companies. I understand making her live harshly to see if she'll do something with herself but to exile her completely and to strip our name from her? Come on."

Liara looked down, "Your right that is extreme, and I spoke in anger. What should I do then?"

"Something that doesn't require complete exile from us. If she dips into that darkness and it swallows her whole, then who knows who she will become when she exits. We can't take that chance." Replied Riley

Anna grit her teeth then said, "Mother, I have a possible solution, and I think everyone will agree. If you could bring Sam back in here, then I will reveal what I want to say when she is." She paused, "Being the eldest, I will take on the responsibility of what comes next."

Liara's brow markings rose. "Ok…" She looked at Shay and said, "Bring them back in here."

Sam walked back in, and Anna walked to the center of the living room, "Don't speak just come stand right here." She said as she pointed off to the side. She rubbed her lip for a moment then spoke, "Mother has spoken her words, and we convened after your dismissal. We agreed to most of it when others did not. As a family, some said nothing as I presume they agreed when others spoke their differences and as the eldest, I've come to a conclusion of what should happen in lieu of mother's decision." She rose a finger "Now, I haven't explained to them what I'm going to do but I'm going to take on the responsibility of you for x amount of years. This next part is my suggestion. For you to be at the TSS Academy for x amount years where you will learn what it means to be part of a larger group. It seems as if you feel that you can only count on Cameron and that's not true. I understand that you grew up together and that you two have your niche as we have ours and Joni and Katie have theirs. What our family needs to understand is, yes, we grew up at different times but we are all a family. There's not one of you that we don't think otherwise. I will say that I'm not the easiest person to get along with and I will be blunt when somethings on my mind." She smiled when the others chuckled, "You all know how I am and some of you better than others but I am who I am. We are who we are but there are times in our life where we might have missed something or didn't learn something for us to be better at who we are or what we're meant to be. I feel that maybe you have…missed something. I think that if you go through this program, you will learn how to be more of a suitable being." She rose her finger again, "Meaning… that you will become more than you are today because what you are today is unacceptable."

"You will live and breathe in a squad where there's pull on both ends and not just one-sided. To learn of your surroundings and to have ties with other squad members. To earn trust and to gain trust as you build your relationship with your crew. You've obviously missed this part in your life." She scrunched her brow markings as she sucked her teeth "You need…something. I don't know if this is that something, but we know you can't be "alone" in a sense. A social butterfly such as yourself, will be detrimental. Therefore when your training is finished, you will remain there and work there until we say otherwise. During your training, you will live in a dormitory with your squadmates and once your training is finished, I will set you up in one of the more "luxury" teacher housing units. If you wish to go off-campus, then you will do so upon my approval, Nori and one of my soldiers will accompany you." She paused and looked at everyone then continued, "Is this suitable for you or would you prefer mother's option?"

Sam looked at her eldest sister, then her mother and sisters "I would prefer Anna's option."

Liara smiled. "An excellent compromise Anna. I'll agree to it on one condition." She walked over to Sam and leaned in closely. "If you go through this and in the end, you still jeopardize this family, then your punishment will be severe. Do you understand?"

Sam nodded and quickly replied, "Yes, ma'am. I won't, I promise."

"Understand this… Anna runs that Academy and very well at that. She's placing her trust in you even after you broke it. While you're there, her word stands and don't think she'll give you any special treatment. Understand what your signing up for because this isn't a vacation, and the main reason why you deterred from the Academy the first time around."

She huffed as she scanned the living room. "Well, it's either this or low-end shitville or criminal town, right? It's not like I have very many choices. I'd rather go through hell than live in shitville or criminal town." She glanced down at her fingernails. "Besides, your hell actually has accommodations."

Liara arched a brow at her response then glanced at Anna. "Very well… I guess that's settled." She looked at Shay. "Have her escorted to the Academy and set her up in housing until Anna is ready to place her somewhere. Oh and Shay make sure you prep her room." She said with a quick brow marking raise.

Shay nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

After Sam was escorted out, she turned to her eldest "She thinks she has an ace in the hole with her completion of secondary and university schooling. Her position there will be the first unusual situation ever. This is a punishment, not a vacation for her to lounge around campus.

I want her in something at all times and make her life a living hell. Get her ass on a job starting tomorrow, scrubbing pans for all I care."

Anna smirked, "I was already on the same page as you, mom. I've got something for that little asshole..."

Benezia let out a snicker then said: "Yea, like your foot in her ass with no lube."

Anna chuckled as she rubbed her hands together, then said, "Exactly. Hannah Shepard style." Her laugh tapered off when her mother arched her brow marking at her. "She won't be with the other asari that are there to actually learn. Oh no, that would be… too easy. First, she'll go through officer training with a bunch of humans where she'll be the oddball out and a hurdle she'll need to overcome. Once she completes her leadership and health fitness portion of officer training, then she'll be in advanced outdoor wilderness training. Where I'm going to drag her prissy ass through fucking grime and mud." She mocked her sister as she looked down at her nails, "Oh…I broke a nail." Then she grunted, and her voice became raspy "I'm going to make her sleep in the dark spooky woods mmmhmmm and the wind is going to rattle her tent in the midst of the night as the owls are going to be coo cooing in her ear all night long mmhmmm." She paused for a brief moment then loudly said: "Who de whooo!" She smirked when some of them jumped and her mother began to snicker.

"You are such a fucking asshole," Benezia said as she laughed

The others began to laugh as she said, "I can see her face now as the wild animals chatter all night long. Ca caw ca caw! Who de whooo! Eeeee eee eee!"

Liara covered her face as she snorted in laughter, and everyone laughed at her snorting. Liara shook her head, then said, "What is wrong with you?"

Anna shrugged as she laughed. "She'll be begging me for shitville by the end of the first year."

Liara shook her head as she chuckled. "She's locked in, and there will be no changing. I don't care how much she begs and pleads for leniency."

"Oh, I know..." replied Anna as she smiled.

Her mother nodded then replied, "All fun aside, this is going to be a challenge for you. She's going to quit and beg for it to stop. She will probably put up a fight and even retaliate because she's the only one that doesn't want to be there. For her, this is a prison sentence, for the humans a place to become an officer and for the asari a chance to become someone. I know in the beginning you're going to have your fun, but in the end, she needs to come away as a better person."

Anna looked down, then nodded, "I know. I will have my fun, but I do understand the overall goal."

—/

**Several weeks before. Earth – The Facility.**

Cameron exited his ship and looked around the area "Hmm... she said you were at this location. Knowing you, you would do something cunning." He looked over at Thomas Crispin then pointed to the open horizon. "She's hidden somewhere out there. Find her!"


	7. My Blue Goddess

Shepard Stories III

**Ch 7: My Blue Goddess**

**Earth - 2310CE**

Cameron exited his ship and looked around the area "Hmm... she said you were at this location. Knowing you, you would do something cunning." He looked over at Thomas Crispin then pointed to the open land "Find her."

Thomas pushed his glasses into his face as he looked the tall ruffian over. He wore a black mask that covered his face, and the sides of his head were shaved down to the skin with metallic-like streaks down them. The top section of his hair was twisted neatly in rows that flowed down to his neck. He bent down as he unlocked his metal chest and grabbed two spheres with hexagon holes in them. He tapped at his laptop then at the spheres. He stood as he lobbed them into the air and watched them expand then take flight. He glanced over as the ruffian's bottom portion of his mask disappeared as he placed a cylindrical pipe to his mouth.

Kol exhaled his smoked as he watched the machines whirl by and out into the open, "You sure those will work?"

Thomas smirked. "These will find just about anything. I have to say Gwendolyn is a mastermind when it comes to these gadgets. I mean—"

"Yeah yeah, shut up!" Snapped Kol.

He grimaced as he looked out into the horizon and watched the machines search the area. After several minutes went by, he pointed to his laptop, "Oh wow, Look at this! This building is huge."

Kol walked over and looked at his screen then smiled "There you are! Let's get over there and get it open."

—/

Kol walked up to the massive steel door and let out a long slow whistle as he gave one wrap on the door. "Damn, you are no fucking joke! Look at this shit!" He snapped his fingers, then said, "Tom, open this up."

Thomas nervously walked up to the door and looked at the biometric panel. "Ummm, this is an encrypted biometric reader." He tapped above the panel "With optic scan." He shook his head "These are extremely hard to crack."

Kol stormed over to him and grab the back of his neck and jerked him around as he yelled: "Open the fucking door!"

He took a deep breath as he rubbed the back of his hurting neck, "I can't! Not without the user's fingerprints and retina scan! You attempt to override it, and the entire system will go into lockdown. Everything in there will be impenetrable."

"Impenetrable?" Kol said, then laughed, "Well, then I'll use my own method to get

in because I'm not leaving here until I get what I came for!" He snapped his fingers, then said, "Bring me my equipment bag." After they brought him his bag, he bent down and pulled out several small bricks of c-4 explosives.

Thomas quickly reached out his hand, "Woah woah! You could structurally fracture this whole facility with the use of that! We have no idea—-"

"Then, open the fucking door!" snarled Kol. He paused then looked around when he heard a soft metallic noise, then a light blue asari appeared on a small screen.

"Kol Blackstone, I presume and Thomas Crispin, delightful." She said calmly.

Thomas quickly replied, "Not by choice, ma'am."

Kol turned toward Thomas then back at the screen."Interesting, I expected someone else and definitely not you, Gwendolyn." Replied Kol

"I know who you are and what you've done. I knew you'd come eventually."

Kol cocked his brow as he crossed his arms, "You know? How?"

Gwyn gave a slight smile, "I knew someone was leaking information, but I wasn't quite sure who it was, but now I know." She said as she eyed Thomas then looked back at Kol. "As for the identification of you. Well, that was purely accidental when I was analyzing my father's armor."

Kol sucked his teeth then said, "Hmm... and you're just going to let me in?"

"Why not? There's nothing of any value in there," replied Gwyn

"Nothing of value?" He snapped.

"Precisely. Well, nothing valuable to me, anyway. Feel free to peruse the area." She replied

He arched his brow as he turned when the door made several large clunking noises when the bolts removed. He took a step forward then stopped as he looked down the hall then back at the camera. "This is a trick, isn't it?"

Gwyn shook her head, "No trick."

He pointed to one of his men and said, "You! Walk all the way in there, then come back out." He waited as he did just that. The man came back out and said, "All clear."

He walked into the facility, and a hologram of his mother appeared, "Detection of several unauthorized entities."

Kol quickly looked around for something to pop out, but nothing did. He stared at his holographic mother and slowly walked up to her. "Where is she?" He asked, then jumped slightly when she spoke.

"Whom do you seek?" Asked the hologram

"Miranda Shepard." Asked Kol

"You are not authorized to be in here. My response coding will not activate until an authorized party is present." Replied the hologram.

He curled his lip, then yelled, "Gwyn! Where is she?" He looked up when a screen appeared on the nearest wall.

"She's not there."

"Bullshit!" He said as he looked at the three massive doors, "She's in one of those rooms."

"No...I'm pretty certain my crew cleared out anything worth anything the last time I was there."

He quickly ran to C and looked into a room of stored items. Then he walked to B, but it didn't open, then he walked to A and saw the pods. He saw empty pod after empty pod until he came to one tucked away in the corner. He swiped his hand over the glass, and he smiled when he saw her face, then mumbled, "Nothing worth anything, my ass." He looked up, then yelled, "Nice try Gwyn! What else are you hiding here?"

"Hmm, I thought we took those two units the last time I was there. I guess I was wrong. Well, I can't stop you from taking her. Take her and be on your way." She said, then left.

He glanced up and murmured, "Two units?" He pinched his brow, then rummaged through the other pods and found nothing. He walked out of A and over to B. When it didn't open, he looked at Thomas "Open this door."

Thomas walked up to the door and shrugged, "There's no access point." He walked over to the mainframe computer and tapped at it "Kol, I could be here for days trying to bypass this. She has—"

"You are fucking worthless. I'll do it myself!" He hissed. He turned to one of his men and said: "Bring me my bag!" He looked over at the blank screen then said: "Gwyn, I will blow this fucking door off its hinges!" He smiled slightly when he saw her reappear then say, "No need to destroy the door. All you had to do was ask," replied Gwyn

Kol looked at the screen for a long moment as the door unlocked then said, "Why are you doing this? Won't your mother be upset."

Gwyn shrugged, "Maybe so, but there's nothing I can do about it, right? Why have you tear up a perfectly good facility just to get what you want? You want them then take them. Goodbye, Kol." She said as the screen went black.

He stood there and scratched the back of his head. "Hmm..." he looked back at Thomas then said, "Does this seem odd to you?"

Thomas shrugged, "She's a really a nice person. This is kind of up her alley. I don't know..."

He walked up to the entrance and peeked inside, then he saw just one lonely pod sitting in the middle of the room, "Why would this one be locked in here and not my mother?"

"I'm not sure, but whoever it is must be more important than her." Replied Thomas.

He sucked his teeth, then scratched his chin. "Hmmm..." He gave a quick scan of the room, then cautiously walked inside and up to the pod. He looked it over then wiped the small window with his hand. A smile slowly crept over his face when he saw him, then he said: "Well, I'll be damned."

—/

**Deep Space somewhere 2312CE**

Shepard was lying in bed in his frigate that was traveling faster than light toward Thessia. He smiled as he looked at his wife on-screen as she rambled on about her day. She paused, then a smile slowly crept across her face as she looked at him then said, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shook his head, then said, "Nothing. I'm just listening babe."

She glanced at the time _2330_ then said: "Mhmm, you're just letting me ramble on about absolutely nothing."

He shrugged, "I know, but I enjoy watching you. Besides, you're obviously enthusiastic about it and when you get like that, I just let you…well, get it all out."

She laughed softly, then said, "And that's why I love you as much as I do. You'll listen regardless if you know what I'm talking about or not, and you'll actually pay attention."

"I do it because I love you." He paused then playfully said, "No matter how painful it can be."

She gasped then chuckled as she replied, "You butthead…" She gently bit her bottom lip, "I miss you."

His laughed tapered off as he said, "I know you do. I miss you too." He held up two fingers then three as he said, "Two more days…maybe three, then I'll be home."

She groaned, "I thought you'd be back early tomorrow morning."

He waggled his eyebrows, "I know, but there was a snag in that plan. I'm six hours outside Thessia, but I need to stop over in Serrice then Nefrane to get something first."

Her brow markings shot up, and she quickly replied, "Nefrane? That ancient "city" is a myth. What's there. What have you found? Was it found?" She paused as her mind began to race, "Ooo, I bet…" She rapidly snapped her fingers, "Yes!" She looked around then said, "Ummm, I'll meet you there. Uhhhh….Let me just gather some stuff."

He smiled, "No, no-no. It's just an unknown contact that has something of interest for you. I'll meet him then be home, then we can go over whatever it is in detail."

She cocked her head as she pinched her brow markings "That's strange. Something of interest for me? Why didn't they just contact me directly?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure. The email said that you would want to definitely have this info for further study."

She ran her hand over her mouth then pulled at her lip as she paced around her room "Hmmm. That's so bizarre. I wonder what it is." She looked at him, then said, "What's in Serrice?"

He smiled broadly, "Something…"

"Oooo, and what is this…something? Hmmmm? Is it for me?" she said as she smiled.

He smirked then said, "It's a surprise. I'll see you soon."

Her hand touched her chest as she said, "Ooh, it is for me! What is it?"

He nodded, "Mmhmm, and you'll need to wait."

She quickly replied, "Ooo, ooo, just tell me."

He laughed softly as he shook his head "No, and I haven't bought it yet. I'll see you soon."

She huffed as she placed her hands on her hips "Ok ok." She made a few kissing noises "I'll let you sleep. Goodnight, I love you."

"Nite. I love you too," He said before his screen went black.

-/

Shepard stepped off his frigate, and his body shivered when he was hit repeatedly with blasts of arctic air. He looked over at his shadow Kirre. "Damn, it's cold here, and this armor's auto heating isn't doing shit for it either."

"No, kidding." She said as she tapped at her arm terminal, "We have level two and three hazard zones here." She looked out into the white horizon. "Whoever your contact is, isn't nearby, and we don't have the necessary equipment to venture out there. We'll have to come back."

He shook his head "Nah. If I recall we have a set of hoverbikes with enviro protection down in the cargo bay."

She curled her lip as she groaned, "Sir, I don't think this is a good idea. This could be a trap or—"

He rolled his eyes, "A trap for archeology stuff? Come on."

She nodded, "Yes! These people would have contacted Liara directly and not you. Why meet all the way out here? Doesn't this all seem odd to you?"

He sucked his teeth as he looked out into the open, "Liara said roughly the same thing." He crossed his arms as he continued to scan the area "Maybe it is… Regardless I'm going. Let's get our gear and the rest of the crew and be on guard. We'll head out to this location that was given and look around if no one is there, then we'll head home."

Kirre closed her eyes as she shook her head slightly "This has bad idea written all over it."

He smirked, "You're right; it does, and do you know how many of these we've been on. We'll be fine." He said as he turned and walked back on to his ship then headed down to the cargo bay. He pulled the covers off the hoverbikes and smiled as he patted the seat, "I love these things."

"I don't." Grumbled Kirre.

He chuckled then said, "Grab two more ladies to come with us and have the other two stay here to guard the ship. Let them know we'll be out possibly the whole day, but any longer than that with no communication, and they need to contact Liara."

She nodded, "Copy that."

They made their way over to the specified location, and they came up to a tucked-away cave entrance. Shepard scanned the area as he parked his bike then headed toward the entrance. He hit his comm unit and said, "Ladies, stay on your toes. Weapons ready."

They cautiously entered the cave and looked around the dimly lit area. He tapped at his arm terminal then said, "Looks like there's an enviro unit protecting the cave." His eyes darted over toward a dark corner when he thought he saw something. "Who's there?"

"Spectre Shepard…" replied an unrecognizable voice as a man in light protective gear stepped from the shadows.

He replied quickly with his gun pointed at him, "Are you my contact?"

The man held up one hand as he held a small box in another "Don't shoot. This is for you."

Shepard took a step toward him, then stopped as he quickly looked around the area again, but there were too many dark corners and shadows to see anything. He pointed to the ground with his gun as he said: "Just set it down there."

"Ok." Said the man as he placed the container on the ground. "Look, I know this all must be odd, but I found this, and the only person I could think of was you."

Shepard's eyes narrowed. "Just me, huh? Why meet here?"

"Like I said, I found it. I'm just an adventurer, and I came out here looking for this supposed ancient city."

He rose his eyes brows, "Well, did you find it?"

"I did, and I wanted to leave this to someone who would dig further into it, and I'm definitely not that person." He pointed to the entrance, "Can I go?"

Shepard jerked his head toward the opening as he lowered his gun. "Yea. Sorry." After the man left, they walked over to the box and opened it. He smirked as he shifted through it "Well, these look familiar. There also seems to be some documents in here. Liara will definitely want this."

Kirre nodded as she said, "Yea, those items are similar to the ones Benezia found." She looked around then said, "Do you really think he found the ancient city, or is all this just a ruse?"

Shepard stood up, then walked further into the cave as he said, "I'm not sure. Stay here." The further he walked, the darker it became until he was in solid darkness. He stopped as he reached up to turn on his headlight on his helmet but nothing happened. He grumbled then hit his helmet, "Stupid thing come on." He walked backward as he tried to flip the light on his gun but nothing happened "Shit. When I want this shit to work, it doesn't." He tapped on his arm terminal as it provided some light then he remembered the update Gwyn gave him on his visor. He pushed the side button and his visor turn to night vision mode. "There, that's— fuck!" He yelled as he saw a shimmer of a person, then the prick of several darts pierce the soft spots on his armor. The last thing he felt was the heaviness of his eyes closing and not himself hitting the ground.

Kirre ran around the corner, "Shep?" She looked into the darkness then saw a man emerge.

"Yea, I'm fine." He replied as he walked up to her.

She nodded then quickly pinched her brow markings as she looked at his armor, "Why is your armor different?"

He glanced down as his hand touched his armor "Ahh. Good eye." He said then shot her with a tranquilizer dart. He looked back when two other men emerged. "There's two more in here go take them out, and there's probably more on the ship." He walked into the darker part of the cave and drug Shepard into the lighter part "Well, Shep it looks like I have a date with your wife."

One of the men walked over to the knocked out Shepard and put a gun to his head, and the other quickly said, "No! Our mission is to put them all out. Set the communication disruptor, leave them here, and to exit. Nothing else."

The guy grunted "This is stupid. His death would make everything else so much easier."

"Maybe so, but he said no casualties. Let's finished up and continue on our mission."

—/

Shepard took a few deep breaths as his shuttled began its decent "Are you sure about this? I'm not walking into my death, am I?"

"Just stick to the plan, and you'll be fine." the voice replied in his earpiece.

He exited his shuttle and began to make his way to the house. "Sir, Where's Kirre and the others?" asked a nearby commando.

He froze then instantly replied, "I sent them on a side mission. They should be here tomorrow evening at the latest."

The commando scrunched her brow markings. "Hmmm ok, but Liara won't be happy about that."

He nodded, "True... I'm just going to head in now." He said as he turned and walked away then murmured, "Shit, that was close. Where do I go when I get in here?"

His earpiece buzzed as Kol spoke to him, "When you get in there, just keep your head down and don't talk to anyone. Just nod if you have to. Take a right and your office will be all the way down the hall. Last room on the right."

Shepard placed his hand on the door, and before he opened it, Kol said: "Shit, I forgot about the varren if there are any, but there probably are."

He scrunched his face, "Varren? You said they wouldn't be an issue."

"Well, they shouldn't, but if they smell a difference, then you're screwed. If you see one, just remain calm and act excited to see it."

"Great..." he said as he entered. He looked around as his jaw slightly dropped open. "Holy shit. This place looks huge from the outside, and well, it fucking is."

"Just keep moving. First, right."

"There's an office on the right here." He said as he was about to place his hand on the door.

"No, no, no, that's Liara's," replied Kol

He turned and continued down the foyer and froze when a commando came walking down the hallway. He turned his head slightly away as she began to talk to him. "Welcome home, Shep. Oh, Liara's outback." Said Teyr then paused for a moment as she turned slightly. "Wow, I'm surprised you have no comment on us losing this week..."

He swallowed hard, then nodded as he cleared his throat. "Umm, thank you. I need to go." He said then adjusted his cap and continued to walk toward his office.

The commando pinched her brow markings at his short and distant response as he walked passed her. She looked him over as her eyes followed him then stared at him for a moment as his typical Shepardness was nonexistent, "Everything ok?"

Shepard didn't turn around but just rose his hand and quickly replied: "Yep, thanks."

He heard a slight panic in his ear, "Shit! That sounded like Ty. Remain calm, and just stay on track. Maybe she won't alert her to your presence or follow you to the office. If she does alert Liara that you're home, just stay calm, and whatever you do, don't have sex with her."

"What? What happens if I do?" He paused then said, "Wait with her or Liara?"

"Liara! Because she'll know, and they'll probably kill you. Alright? Just don't do it. Follow the plan. Get in and get out."

He walked into Shepard's office and over to the computer. "Ok, I'm in the office and I'm inserting the chip into it. Now what?"

"Let that run and don't forget to place cameras." Said Kol

"Oh, right." He walked to the other side of the room and placed a tiny camera on it. He poked his head outside his office and placed a tiny camera on the wall. "Now, where?"

"Master bedroom. Straight down the hall. It was the first room with a solid door on the left as you came in the house. Oh, you know what? Place a camera in Liara's office then head to the master."

"Copy that." He continued into Liara's office then to the master. "Damn, this room is huge!" He said then looked over at the large bed. "How much sex do you think they've had in that bed?"

"What the fuck kind of question is that? Scan the room and keep moving. Don't fuck around. She's either going to wait for you or just come to you."

Shepard tapped at his arm terminal and scanned the room. He saw a hidden door in the floor and a hidden panel on the wall. "Well, hello, hello."

"What did you find?"

"Hidden door in the floor."

"Yess! I knew it. Let's see if you can open it."

He walked up to the wall and gently pressed the panel, and it flipped open. He placed his hand on the biometric scanner and let it scan his hand. Once it was complete, it gave a buzz then flashed "Access denied."

"No, go on the same fingerprints."

"Shit!"

He closed the panel and turned quickly when he heard the door open, and a seductive voice say, "Hey, you."

He swallowed hard at the half-naked light blue asari across the room from him. His eyes slowly looked down her body. She wore a skimpy white bikini, and her body was slightly damp. "Hi."

She slowly walked to him as she spoke: "Were you not going to come say hello to me?"

His heart began to beat faster. "I umm..." he cleared his throat. "Umm...of course I was."

She chuckled, "What's the matter, lovie? You're looking at me like it's the first time."

"Oh umm... well, you're absolutely exquisite. It's hard for me not to."

She pressed her damp body into him and ran her hand up his beard then kissed him. "Mmmm, you're such a flatterer my love." She pulled away gently and squinted her eyes slightly as she tried to look at him in the low light "Did you dye your beard?"

He chuckled hesitantly as he ran his hand over his non-salt and pepper beard "You like it?"

"Well, it certainly makes you look younger." Her hands came around his sides and to his back when she felt a weapon tucked into his pants. She scrunched her brow markings. "Have you not been to the armory? I could have sworn Ty said you were on the way to your office."

He hesitated then quickly said, "I was, but it totally slipped my mind when I was in there."

She cocked her head as she looked at him, "Hmmm…" Her hand came up and began to pull his hat off as she said: "What's with the hat?" She leaned in and breathed him in then said: "And…you smell different."

He stopped her with a kiss, "Don't like it?"

She looked at him as she grunted "nMmm It's…. different. I don't really care for the new smell, but that's because I'm so used to the other. The hat prevents me from seeing you and running my fingers through your hair. Take it off."

His heart rate picked up, then he slid his hand down her body "You're so beautiful. Let me look at you."

She backed away slowly as she smiled broadly. "Oh, you missed me, did you?" Her hands came up and untied the bow at the back of her neck then untied the bow at her mid-back. Her top fell to the ground, and her breasts dangled free. Her hands slid down her body and pulled at the strings at her hips until they released the bows and her bottoms fell.

His eyes flashed at her naked beauty before him. She curled her finger at him, and her words were silky as she said, "Come here." then she seductively bit her lip.

He ignored the warning being said in his ear, "Don't do it. Walk away." He couldn't help but walk to her as if she was reeling him in. He placed his hands on her naked body, and it sent pulses through his body. He was simply mesmerized by her beauty and she pulled him closer and closer to the bed. He felt a hard push to his chest and he fell back on the bed. He laid there not knowing what to do and he could feel her slowly crawling on him.

"What's the matter, baby? Hmm? You're so tense..." she said, then leaned down and kissed him.

He cleared his throat. "Umm, I'm...umm just tired, I guess..."

She pulled back and said playfully, "Oooh no. Don't you give me that? I've been waiting for you to get home. Besides, you always make love to me when you get home." She slowly ran her hands up his chest "I've missed you." She smiled then said, "So, where's this present of yours? Hmm?" She quickly looked around for her gift, "No, better yet, what happened on Nefrane?" She slapped his chest, "How come you didn't call me? You know I've been waiting for you."

He swallowed hard, then said, "Present? Oh, umm, it's in the office." He nervously ran his sweaty hands up her thighs and she instantly pinched her brow markings at him then smiled as she said. "Close your eyes, I have something for you. You're going to love this." She slid off him and watched as he closed his eyes then she reached down next to her nightstand and grabbed her pistol and pointed it at him then snarled, "Who the fuck are you?"

He quickly opened his eyes and put his hands up. "Wait, wait. It's me."

She shook her head, "The hell it is. I know my bondmate, and he would never hesitate to touch me like you did. Everything about you is wrong!"

He sat up slowly and said, "Listen, ok, it's me. I'm a clone, ok. Your Shepard was killed. They're all dead. I was remade."

She scrunched her face and began to breathe heavily. "No, you're lying!"

"Call me. My arm terminal will ring."

She looked at him then quickly touched her neurotransmitter on her temple "Call my lovie." She glanced at his arm when it rang.

"See... it's me."

Tears began to run down her face, then she backed away, then yelled, "Shay!" She glanced at the door then yelled again, "Shay!"

Shandri barged through the door with Teyr and another commando behind her. Shandri looked at Liara, holding a weapon at Shepard."What's going on? V.I lights on full!"

Her hand shook as she continued to point her weapon at him "That's not him! He said they're all dead, and he was remade."

Shandri pinched her brow markings then quickly tapped at her arm terminal to ring Kirre with no answer. She looked at Liara, "Kay didn't pick up."

She immediately replied with "Call Shepard."

Shandri tapped at her arm terminal then looked at the clone when his arm terminal rang.

He looked at both of them, "It's me."

Liara shook her head, "No!" Her grip tightened when he moved, "Don't you fucking move!"

Her heart was beating fast as she took quick breaths then said: "Tell me something that only you call me."

His earpiece whispered, "Tell her that she's your blue goddess." Shepard looked at her "You're my blue goddess."

She smiled as she lowered the gun slightly "Umm…Tell me something else."

His earpiece whisper, "Say her best friend is Miranda." He cleared his throat "Your best friend is Miranda."

She eyed him, "Wrong… my best friend is my bondmate."

"You know what I mean. Come on." He said swiftly.

She looked off to the side then at him as she said: "Ok, tell me something else."

His earpiece whispered, "She loves archeology." He nodded, "Ok ok... umm, you love archeology."

She narrowed her eyes. "Mmmhmm, but that's public information. What do you call it?"

His earpiece quickly said, "Playing in the dirt." He stood, "Well... you love to play in the dirt." He said smoothly, then smiled.

She couldn't help but smile back "Hmm. Ok. You got me there."

He inched toward her as she lowered the gun more, "Come on, babe, it's me."

Her hand shot up as she leveled out her arm "Don't! Ummm... Tell me something else."

Shay moved closer to them as Shepard inched closer. "Ok...umm your varren they're your babies. Your most beloved was Crimson."

She frowned at his name, then said: "Ok, last question, and I won't ask anymore."

He smiled as he thought he had this in the bag, then said, "Alright." Then his smile faded slowly when Liara threw him a curveball question.

"You say you're my lovie, but only he would know the answer to this next question." She looked at him, then said, "What did you do the day after we first made love?"

He waited for an answer from Kol, but all he got was, "Shit, I have no idea." He looked at Shay then at Liara and scoffed, "Easy…I made love to you again."

She narrowed her eyes. "We did, but that's not the answer I was looking for and HE would have known exactly how to respond to that." She looked at Shay "Restrain him—"

Shepard charged Liara, and she hesitated to shoot at her "lover." Shepard held her firmly then brought a knife up to her neck "Ohhh, I don't think so."

Liara stood calm, then said, "You have no idea what I can do."

Kol squawked in his ear "What are you doing? Don't you dare even think about it! You'll fuck everything up, and you will rain havoc on us all for years, and she'll kill you!"

He mumbled, "I'm dead anyway…"

Liara smirked, "You've got that right! Before I kill you tell me where my bondmate is."

He laughed softly. "Asleep in a cold, damp cave. I came here to obtain information, and I've done that." He leaned into her neck and breathed her in then gently hovered his lips near her aux "Tell me Liara why HIM and not me? What makes HIM so much better?"

She scoffed, "Easy, my bondmate has more pizzaz than you. He lights up a room when he walks into it. You, on the other hand, do not. I had a feeling when I saw you standing in the dark that something was a miss. Ty said you were acting strange, and I came to see for myself. His love pours into me with every touch but you...your hands were clammy when you touched me and it instantly sent chills up my back."

He curled his lip and snarled, "You don't fucking know me!"

She replied quickly, "So true!"

He looked over at Shandri inching closer to them, "If you move any closer, I'll cut her fucking throat." He hissed as he pressed the knife against her neck.

Shandri could see a droplet of blood drip from her mistress's neck, and she knew she was going to have to make a move very soon. She looked at Liara for anything a brow raise a movement in her eyes, but before Liara could make her move or even speak, the clone did, "You know what? Fuck this!" Then it happened; his action was swift as his knife skated across her neck.

Shandri's eyes widen, and she gasped when indigo blood spilled from her mistress's neck. She couldn't even react against him because he violently pushed her mistress towards her. She caught her as Liara grabbed on to her, and she quickly laid her back and her hand met Liara's as they tried to plug the wound. Tears instantly formed in her eyes as she said, "Lia... I'm so sorry..."

As Shandri tended to Liara, Teyr shot at him, but he repelled every move as he made his way toward the nearest exit.

Shandri turned when several commandos flooded through the door then she heard a loud crash as his body smashed through the window. When she turned back toward Shepard, he was gone. She pointed to the window and yelled, "Hunt him down, damn it! GO NOW! He does NOT leave the grounds!"

Teyr nodded, then turned and ran after him.

Shandri sniffled, then quickly looked down at Liara then up and yelled: "I need medical now! Or medi-gel! Something and hurry the hell up!" Her lip began to tremble as her mistress gripped her hand as she tried to gasp for air, then her hand released as the last breath left her. Shandri let out a ragged breath as she brought her bloodied hand to her mouth then wept at her side. She looked her over as her body shook then mumbled, "I failed you, and I'm so sorry, Liara. I'm so sorry."

-/

**Nefrane. Several hours after blackout...**

Shepard groaned as his eyes opened then he looked around the cave. "What the fuck?" He looked down at his hands and feet, not tied. "Mmmk…" His eyes instantly darted over at Kirre, and the other two that were groaning then he asked: "You ok?"

Kirre grunted then replied, "Yes." She rubbed her neck as she said: "What the fuck was that about?"

He shook his head, "I'm not sure." He tapped at his comm unit, "Xylan? Do you copy?" He pinched his eyebrows when she didn't answer. He looked over at his crew, "Let's get back to the ship double time."

They pulled up to the ship, and they quickly enter with their guns raised as they searched it. He came upon his crew still knocked out, and he quickly checked their pulse. He glanced over at Kirre as he said: "They're alive but still out." He looked down at his arm terminal at the time then grumbled, "Shit. I bet Liara is pissed. I was supposed to be home hours ago."

Kirre smirked, "She'll get over it."

He huffed, "Yea." He tapped at his arm terminal and rang his wife, but nothing happened. He hit it then said, "Hmm, my arm terminal isn't working. I must have damaged it when I fell." He looked at Kirre, "Call Lia for me please."

She nodded, "Sure thing." She said as she tapped at her arm terminal. She pinched her brow markings "Hmm, mine isn't working either."

He pinched his lips off to the side "Hmm. Let's get home."

"Copy that." Replied Kirre.

—/

Kirre smiled as she saw the pink and white bag sitting in the corner near his things, "You got it, huh?"

He glanced back at the bag and smiled, "Yea, she's going to squeal!"

She rumbled in laughter. "She's too funny. So grown up on the exterior but still a youngin on the inside."

He smirked, "I know, but Liara just loves presents."

"Presents from her lovie."

He rolled his eyes, "Shut it!" He chuckled, "She could go buy them herself, but she'd rather me get them for her."

"Well, Yea... what's the fun in getting it yourself?" Replied Kirre

"Umm well none, I guess..." his words trailed off, and his smile faded as he looked outside his shuttle and down at his estate. He scrunched his face when he saw biotic flashes and gunfire flashes. "What the fuck? Kay, get me the fuck down there, now!" He quickly pressed his transmitter as he called his wife. His heart began to beat faster when she didn't answer but instead of his terminal not working his call went to her voicemail "Hi, you've reached Dr. Liara T'Soni-Shepard..." he ended the called then rang her again and it went back to voicemail. He hung up and hit the side of the shuttle, "Fuck!" He looked over at Kirre, "Land this fucking thing!"

The moment his shuttle landed and the door opened, he ran toward the opened front door. He wasn't welcome with open arms but instead with several guns pointed at him. "What the fuck is this? Where's Liara?"

"Don't you fucking speak!" yelled the commando as she pointed her weapon at him.

He instantly looked toward his bedroom, then his heart plummeted into his stomach when he saw her. His knees buckled as he tried to walk toward her, and his voice barely got out her name, "Liara..."

—/

Shepard stormed over to the holding facility, and he looked at Shandri, who was covered in his wife's blood, "Who fucking did this?"

She wiped the tears from her face, then just looked at him and said: "You did..."

His face dropped at her words, "What?"

She waved him down the hall then over to the observation room, and the moment he saw him, he stopped in his tracks "What the fuck?"

Shandri sniffled as she wiped the tears that continued to drizzle down her face. "She thought he was you, and he killed her." She looked over at her, General, "I'm sorry. I failed her and you."

He didn't reply to her but clenched his fists and said: "Open the door." Shandri looked at him then unlocked the door. He walked in and up to the man that killed his wife and just started hitting him, and with every word that came out of his mouth, he hit him "You-mother-fucker. Kill-my-wife. I'm-going-to-fuck-ing-kill-you!"

When he stopped, the clone spat out a bloodied glob then laughed, "Your wife was so fucking tasty." He licked his lips then said, "Mmm."

Shepard grit his teeth, then reared back and hit him again, "Shut the fuck up!"

The clone laughed, then he instantly stopped as he slumped over. Shepard looked back at Shandri then back at the clone "What the fuck?" He lifted his face up by his chin and cocked a brow marking at his distorted eyes then checked his pulse. He looked back at Shandri, "He's dead. Someone must have transmitted an internal meltdown or something." He tapped the clone's head, "In here."

Shandri walked up to him as she said. "Well, shit! I didn't even get the chance to read him."

Shepard let out a breath as he kicked the ground, "Fuck!"

She walked out and over to a table, "Well, were not completely fucked. We found these items on him, and EDI informed us of these gadgets." Shepard looked down at the table and saw an earpiece, a few micro-cameras and some other stuff.

He grunted as he nodded, "Mhmm." He curled his lip as he clenched his fist as he grabbed the earpiece off the table and plugged it into his ear as he tapped at the arm terminal that was on the table then quickly said, "Cam?"

"Dad, I..."Replied Cameron

Shepard grit his teeth several times the said, "Ooh… it's dad now, huh? Son, you've gone too goddamn far!"

"No, wait... that was not what I wanted at all."

"No? You fucking knew how vulnerable she is with me. You knew her weakness was me! So, you send in a fucking clone to get close to her and kill her." He took a ragged breath, "How fucking dare you!" He sniffled as he wiped his tears away "She was like a mother to you, and you killed her."

"I loved Liara, and I didn't want her dead." replied Cameron

"Oh, you loved her, huh? Well, she's fucking dead!" He took a deep breath "As much as it pains me to not seek vengeance for her. I'm not because you're my son." He balled his hands into a fist and they turned white as he squeezed, then he spat out "Oooh... because if you weren't, I'd fucking gut you and rip your fucking spine from your body!" His shoulders dropped as he released his fist and he let out a breath "Why would you do this? Are you happy now?"

"Dad, I'm sorry..."

His nostrils flared as he replied, "You're sorry? So, now what? Huh? We're even? Hmm? Liara's dead and you have your mother. Do you fucking feel better?"

"No... I don't." He said as his voice cracked.

He grunted, "mHmmm. You know what? Do me a favor. Wake your mother and you tell her what you've done." He paused then growled, "You tell her! Then watch as her heart breaks in front of you." Shepard waited briefly for an answer and didn't receive one. All he heard was his son take a ragged breath "What's the matter? Hmm? You don't want to wake her now, do you?

Yea, that's what I thought. I'll tell you this son you have a war coming. I hope you know that. My girls are going to want justice for this. For this…horrible death of their beloved mother. Two of them, in particular, will never stop until they get what they want." He smirked, "A trait they deprived from their mother. Cam, there will be nothing I can say or do that will stop them."

"I know..." he said softly.

"No, I don't think you do. You don't know them like I do. You may think you do, but you have no fucking clue. Anna is a very spicy and determined asari. She will use everything at her disposal to find you, and she will have it now that she's head of the T'Soni lineage. Benezia on the other hand… she falls into her own category of wickedness. When Nezzie came for justice for her sister, that will be NOTHING compared to what she'll do for this. I don't want to say that my daughter is demented or evil but she can be at times, times such as this. She will turn your insides out then bask in your blood as a wave of pleasure washes over her when she's finished. See, she's like a goddamn Ardat Yakshi that loves to feed off others because it calms the monster inside her. That's what these golden children are, a slightly different form of an Ardat Yakshi. They may not kill their lover's in a meld but they love the feeling of death that they bring. To my daughter, it's a pleasurable drug and a sensation that she must keep in check. She's the worst of all of them and that's because she's invoked the power of an Onikuma a very powerful ancient monster. No matter what you try to do, she will overcome it and she will tear this galaxy apart to find you."

When he stopped talking, he heard nothing from the other end. No quip or response just dead silence, and he knew his son was terrified of what his sister would do to him when she caught up to him. He knew she wouldn't hold back one damn bit and he had no idea just how far his sister would go to get her justice. Kill him, him and his whole family, his entire crew, Jessie, or hell maybe even his mother. He just didn't know nor did he.

Shepard looked down as the silence continued. Benezia may say what's on her sleeve to her mother, but she loved her deeply, and her death is going to cut her deep. He knew anger was going to fill her rage for justice. There was no gentle way to tell them what happened to their mother and they each kept in touch with her on a daily or weekly bases. There was no denying the inevitable.

"Cam? I suggest you start running because that's what you're going to be doing from now on." He said then ended the call.

—/

Shepard leaned against Liara's office door frame as he looked around her office. His eyes slowly darted around the room as his mind began to wander back and roll through the thousands of memories of her in this room. At that moment, he cracked a tiny smile at one in particular.

_Shepard walked into the house and instantly looked over at his wife's office as his eye twitched at her off-key singing. Chills ran up his back at her continuous poor singing. He looked over at Teyr that was near the staircase, and she just looked at him. He chuckled then made a face as he said, "Yikes!"_

_She smirked then said, "No, kidding. She's been doing that for the last hour or so."_

" _I see. So, she's in a glorious mood today to be singing. Huh?" He glanced back at the closed office door with an illuminating red circle then said: "A hundred credits says she's also dancing in there."_

_Teyr laughed, "No need to bet on that because I'm sure she is."_

_He dropped his bag as he said: "Hey, Ty!" He instantly rose his arms above his head and swayed his body, then said, "Liara?"_

_She chuckled as she nodded, "Nailed it!"_

_He laughed, then walked up to her and quickly jiggled his chest at her. She pushed him gently as she laughed and said: "Get out of here!"_

_He laughed as he picked up his bag then said: "Hey, did you catch that game?"_

" _Of course, and we stomped your ass!"_

_He waved her off as he walked backwards toward his office and replied, "Pfffft….your team barely won… but your main ball handler got injured in the last few minutes of the game." He pointed at her and said, "So, your team is fucked for months!"_

_She rolled her eyes, "Whatever more like a few games. Even with a second-string handler, we'd still kick your team's ass."_

" _Not!' He said quickly as he turned and waved her off then walked toward his office to unload his equipment. After he placed his weapons and armor in the armory, he walked over to his desk and sat down. He swirled around and tapped at his laptop, then placed his hand on a biometric scanner and said: "EDI, are you online?"_

" _I'm available for assistance. What can I do for you Shepard?" asked EDI_

" _Can you tap into Liara's office cameras for me, please, ma'am?"_

" _Which one would you like to access?" replied EDI_

" _Ummm, all of them as I want to get a lovely visual of her at this prime moment." He said as he chuckled._

" _Tapping you into her many cameras that would be open and accessible at this moment. It looks to be her Laptop, Data terminal, and wall video feed."_

_He slapped his hands together, then rubbed them rapidly. "Fantastic! Can you stream them over to my laptop in my office, please?"_

" _Of course, is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked  
_

_He smiled broadly then replied, "No, that'll be all, thank you." He waited for a brief moment then the live stream popped up on his laptop. He instantly leaned back in his chair as he laughed at his wife singing and bouncing around her office as she danced. His eyes followed her as she moved around the room and he couldn't help but grin. He got up and walked to her office and when he reached the door, he tapped at his arm terminal to remove the lock on the door. He removed his shoes and placed them next to the door. Once he was done, he opened the door and quickly ran into the room then slid across the floor with his hand closed in a makeshift mic at his mouth as he sang loudly in sync with the music. "Ooooh, I wanna dance with somebody!"_

_Liara jumped then turned around quickly when she heard her husband, and she smirked at his silliness._

_He rolled his hips wide as he brought his hands in close as he sang, then jerked his head back on his last note. "I wanna feel the heeeeee-TA!" he quickly brought both hands up to his chest and snapped his fingers then pumped his arms toward his chest to the music._

_She brought her hands up to her mouth as she laughed._

_He was shaking his butt as he slowly reached out to her and continued to sing the next frame. "Don't you wanna dance? Say you wanna dance? Don't you wanna dance?" He pointed to her then to himself, "With somebody who looooooves you."_

_She smiled as she nodded then swayed her hips as she ran her hands down her body then made her way over to him. She reached out for him, and he grabbed her hand and pulled her close then instantly kissed her neck. Their bodies swayed to the music as their lips connected and she quickly sought out for his tongue. Her fingers ran through his hair as their mouths opened and closed while their tongues caressed each other then their lips pressed together. He leaned her back and kissed her chest; then, he murmured, "Are you going to dance with me baby?"_

_She pulled herself to him as she looked at him, then slid her hands down his back. She bit her lip as she smiled then said: "Mmhmm, show me that heat."_

_He chuckled as his hands lingered around the rim of her pants. He slowly slid her leggings down over her rear then slapped it._

_She smiled then moan softly, "Mmmm."_

_He grabbed a handful of her light blue ass as he kissed her lips. "Mmm you're so sexy when you dance."_

_She giggled as she pulled at his pants "How about you stop talking and get these off."_

_He chuckled, "I don't need to remove much to have my way with you." He slid her leggings down and she stepped out of them. Once the bottom half of his lovely wife was bare, he grabbed her legs and lifted her up, then made his way over to her desk and said: "Make room."_

_She looked behind her and quickly knocked an area off her desk, then he set her down._

_She gently pulled away, then said, "I've missed you."_

He scrunched his face as he blinked the tears from his eyes, and they slowly drizzled down his face. "I will miss you terribly, my lovely blue goddess."

There could be no place on the T'Soni estate where he would be able to hide from a memory of her. Good ones, bad ones and everything in between but normally good ones. She was a woman that loved him with every piece of herself. She would travel to the end of the galaxy or beyond for him. She traveled through darkness for him and did the unthinkable for him.

He looked over at a picture of her on the wall, "How do I explain this to our children?" He said softly then shook his head "There's no way to do it without crushing them. They all loved you so much. You weren't supposed to die this young. You had centuries to live." He sniffled then said, "You filled my life, my love. What will I do without you?" He said then drug his feet as he walked to his room and up to his bed. He looked it over then placed his hand on it. The last time he made love to her was here in this bed. He closed his eyes tight as that memory popped into his head.

_He smiled as he pulled her naked body between his legs. His hands shimmered up her rear as he kissed her stomach. Her leg bent as it came up and placed it near his thigh so she could open herself to him. His fingers slid down her dampness then rubbed her blue desiring nub as he gazed up at her. Her hands slid down his back then through his hair as she closed her eyes and moaned softly as she pressed her breasts into him. "nMmm."_

He took a ragged breath, then leaned down and punched the bed repeatedly as he wept. When he was done, he dropped to his knees, then turned and leaned against the bed as he continued to cry. As he sat there and wept, he couldn't help but continue to think of her.

_His grunting persisted until his release, and then he let out a long, pleasurable moan. "Ahhhhhh. Nmmmm…" He was breathing heavily as he looked down at his wife then kissed her "Mmmm, I love you."_

_She smiled as she slid her hands down his sweaty back. "Mmm, I love you too."_

_He laid on her for a moment then rolled off her. Liara turned on her side and looked at her bondmate and giggled. He turned to her and said, "What?"_

_She smiled as she shook her head "Nothing. I still think your sexual grunting is cute."_

_He arched a brow, "My… sexual grunting?"_

" _Yes, so primal. You sound like a bear when you're really into it. It's sexy."_

_He scoffed, "I do not sound like a bear."_

_She chuckled, then leaned in and kissed him, "Yes, you do." She said then made a playful growl._

_He chuckled, "Stop." He replied, then laid there as the cooling wisps from the fan-cooled his body. He let out a breath then looked at time 10:50. He sat up and groaned as he got off the bed, "Ugh, I need to get going."_

_Liara pouted. "Yes, I know. Citadel for a meeting then wherever they need you to go. Right?"_

_He ran his hands through his damp tousled hair as he walked to the bathroom, "Yea." He flipped the shower on, then walked over to the counter and looked at himself in the mirror. He glanced at his salt and pepper hair then groaned. "I'm getting old babe."_

_Liara leaned on the bathroom door frame "So, you still look handsome to me."_

_He ran his hand over his short, wiry beard, "Yea, but you won't be saying that when I'm an old frail and wrinkly man."_

_She chuckled, "I will too!"_

_He looked at himself in the mirror then back at his gorgeous blue wife "You are still as beautiful as ever and always will be."_

_She smiled as she pushed off the door frame "You're such a flatter."_

_He smirked, then paused for a moment, then said: "I won't be around forever."_

_She grimaced as she walked closer then pressed her nakedness into his back as she kissed it "Don't say that. I cherish every moment I'm with you." She began to tear up as she thought about him not being around "When that time comes…my heart will shatter into a million pieces, and no one will ever be able to repair it. I will be lost without you, and I'm terrified of what my life will be without you in it."_

_He turned to her, pulled her close, and held her "My blue goddess. I will wait in purgatory for you."_

_She smiled as she looked into his lovely blue eyes then said: "You'd wait for me?"_

_He huffed. "Of course! No reason for just one of us to be miserable. Combo deal. Two for one."_

_She rumbled in laughter, then squeezed him tight. "Combo-deal huh?"_

" _Yep. There's a permanent etching on my soul. I'd wait for however long it took because I can't proceed to the great beyond without Liara T'Soni."_

_She smiled, "Awww babe. You're so sweet. I love you."_

" _Mmm, I love you." He said as he picked her up. His wife grunted as her bottom touched the cold counter then smiled as he moved in closer to her. She ran her hands up his face then through his hair "My handsome man, how could I ever live without you. My heart beats for you."_

He blinked the tears from his eyes as he took a ragged breath. He looked over at the faint bloodstain near their bed then grabbed at his heart as he sat there in the dark "I understand the feeling now." He took several heavy breaths and began to cry then murmured: "Wait for me..."


	8. Shepard!

Shepard Stories III

**Ch. 8: Shepard!**

**Armali, Thessia - T'Soni-Shepard Estate - 2310CE**

Shepard sat alone in the dark as his wife continued to run ramped through his mine. He sat through spouts of rage, sadness, loneliness, heartache, and sometime during the night, he drifted off to sleep. He couldn't escape her even in his dreams she was there. She was always there, in his mind, beyond the static. Comfort knowing she was always there for the most part unless he was away for long periods of time.

_He looked around the mist, and it was getting thicker while everything else around him was fading. The mist was becoming constricting as he continued to move further. He could hear her off in the distance calling for him, and he could barely see a shimmering silhouette of her as if it was a bad holographic image. He ran toward her and reached for her "Liara?" She turned toward him and called to him again, "Shepard..." He picked up his speed just to get to her, but the closer he got, the further she became. "Liara?"_

He jolted from his chair when his wife charged through him and called out to him in a panic "Shepard!" He quickly looked around the room as if his wife was going to be there. He leaned on his legs as he tried to catch his breath, then ran his hand over his face. That particular tone of hers he heard many times during the Reaper War. She called to him when she was in danger if she knew he was in danger or if she thought something was wrong and it involved him. He took a ragged breath as he thought of her calling out to him, and he wasn't there for her. He shook his head, "No…" He looked at the bloodied stained area on the floor and clenched his hands in his hair. "Why? You could have taken him easily. Why didn't you?" He scrunched his face as he let out a breath, "…because it was me." Tears streamed down his face as he sniffled then murmured, "I would have never…" he shook his head, "God… the crushing pain of betrayal from the one that you loved and trusted the most."

Shepard closed his eyes as he leaned his head back on the cushion of the chair. He took a few deep breaths as he wiped the tears away then he faintly heard his wife say, "Shepard…" His eyes popped open, and his eyes scanned the room for her. He took a deep breath as he stood, then looked around the room again and quietly said, "Liara?" He waited as if she was going to respond like every other thousands upon thousands of times she had before, but she didn't. He dug his hand in his pocket and pulled out her wedding band and bonding bracelet and looked at them. His head quickly turned toward the bathroom when he heard her call out his name, "Shepard…"

He blinked hard when he saw a sheer like image of her near the bathroom door. "Liara?"

She reached for him as she said, "Shepard…"

He quickly ran to her as he said, "Liara…" When he got to her, she faded. He scrunched his face as he looked around then softly said: "What do you want from me?" He stumbled slightly when he felt a small surge throughout his body. Tears began to fill his eyes, and his words got stuck in his throat as he tried to speak. "I….I know that's you. What do you want me to do?"

Her words came as a whisper, but it echoed throughout his mind and ears as her words lingered. "What I would do..."

He closed his hand around her precious items as he repeated her words, "What I would do?" He glanced at the faint bloodied spot on the floor. "But you are here." He pointed toward the onsite medical building "There…I don't…" He jerked his head back, then ran toward the facility. The commandos jumped as he plowed through the door and blurted out, "Liara! Pull her out I want to see her."

The commandos looked at each other, then one responded, "Right away, sir."

Shepard walked into the morgue section of the facility and waited as patiently as he could as they pulled his wife out of the cryo freezer. When she was fully emerged, he carefully walked around her as he looked her over. He was looking for specific markings on her body, ones he knew, scars, birthmarks, or anything that shouldn't be there. He glanced at her medium-sized purple freckle on her inner left breast then down at the lower right quadrant of her stomach near her hip where there was another medium sized freckle. He touched her side then pulled her body toward him as he glanced at her right butt cheek for her third mark. He touch her few battle wounded scars, and his heart sank when he couldn't find anything out of the ordinary then turned his head slightly when a commando said something.

"What are you looking for?" asked Zen

He shrugged, "I don't know. Wishful thinking that this wasn't her."

Zen pinched her brow markings. "How could it not be? I did a thorough reading, and everything matched up."

He shook his head "What if she's a clone?"

Zen scoffed. "There's no way."

He pointed to a random cryo freezer and said, "There's a clone of me…what if."

She shook her head as she pointed to Liara, "This is her. There was nothing out of the ordinary about her." She pointed to the cryo freezer. "HE was off. He was a blank slate, and they tried to upload basic information, and he tried to copy you, but he couldn't do you." She looked down at her friend then back at Shepard. "Believe me, I've thought about it, but everything lines up Shepard, even her newest upgrades from Gwyn, and no one has that tech."

He took a deep breath as he looked at his pastie blue, lifeless wife on a metal slab, then ran his hands over his face as he signed. He looked her over as he thought to himself, _"It's you. What's to look for if you are here?"_ He turned and slowly walked out of the facility, and her words flowed through his mind _. "What I would do."_ As he walked into his home, he glanced over at her office then mumbled, "Research… that's what you would do, but what."

Shepard reached into his pocket as he walked up to his wife's jewelry cabinet and placed her engagement ring on one of the ring slots, then opened a small drawer and grabbed one of the many velveteen pouches and put her most precious items in there. He clenched the bag then slipped it in his pocket as he said: "You go where I go, my love, and we have things to do." He grabbed a bag and filled it with clothes and other items then dropped it at the front door. He walked to his office, then placed his hand on the biometric reader on his desk and said: "EDI, are you online?"

"Shepard, I'm available for assistance. What can I do for you?" replied EDI

"EDI, deactivate me from everything in this home." He turned when he saw a green glow coming from the corner. He looked away when a holographic image of EDI was standing there. A small beam scanned him, and then he heard, "Scan complete. Authorization verified."

He looked at a picture of Liara on his desk then softly said: "It's me."

"Shepard, may I ask why you ask for this request?"

"There's been a breach, and Liara was killed. Annabelle will be taking over, and I won't be returning."

There was silence for a moment, then EDI replied, "Oh my. I'm sorry, Shepard. Should I remove her as well?"

He pinched his eyebrows "No…wait until Annabelle has been officially signed over and tells you otherwise."

"Understood. I..."

"That'll be all, EDI. Thanks." He said swiftly. When she disappeared, he walked to his armory and filled his weapons bag. After he zipped up his duffle bag, he looked around his office and thought of the many memories in his home. He stood then walked over to his desk and grabbed the picture of his wife and said: "I don't know what you want me to do, but it doesn't matter how long it takes, I will do it for you."

As he walked to the front door, several of his comrades said, "Shepard? Where are you going? What about your girls?"

He hung his head, "I can't face them."

Shandri replied, "You can't do this to them!"

He turned quickly as he snapped, "Do what to them? I didn't take their mother from them!" He swept his hand across himself at them and snarled, "You all were supposed to protect her! An estate full of protection, and she dies in our own fucking home!"

Shandri looked down as tears drizzled down her face. "We were blindsided with a horrible tactic, and her death was unfortunate."

"That it was…" He said coldly, then turned and walked out the front door "I have shit to do."

Kirre and Teyr ran up behind him, "Shep, wait!" They looked at each other, then Kirre said: "We'll go with you."

He shook his head, "NO! You were under orders by Liara, and she's no longer here. I don't need or want any of you to protect me. You all sure as shit couldn't protect HER!"

Kirre grimaced then replied, "Shepard…let us go with you as your friend. You shouldn't do this alone."

He stopped near his car and thought quickly. _Three brains are better than one, and they would be helpful in his mission._ He let out a breath then said, "Fine. Grab your gear, and I'll meet you at the shipyard in two hours."

Kirre glanced back at Shandri, and she nodded at her to go. She turned back to him and said, "Yes, sir. We'll be there." As he flew away, she turned to Shandri and said: "What the hell is he doing?"

Shandri shook her head as she placed her hands on her hips. "He's doing exactly what Cameron did, running away. He can run, but it's never going to change the fact that she's gone."

"But the girls? Do we tell them?" replied Kirre

Shandri let out a breath then said, "No, they need to hear this from him. He needs time to process her death, and when that time is up, then he will contact them. If not, then they will begin to show up looking for her as most of them kept in touch with their mother on a regular basis. I give it a week or two before someone comes looking for her. At that time, then we will inform them of her death but not before then." She looked at all the nearby commandos then said: "Anna is next in line."

A commando mumbled, "Great…. This should be interesting."

Shandri closed her eyes "Ladies, we have a war to prepare for. Even though Anna will be the one in charge, it'll be Benezia laying down what comes next. If you all thought what happened on Alcazar was a blood bath, then you haven't seen anything yet. She is the most powerful asari in the galaxy, and Liara knew that. Double that power with Milizkia at her side." She wiped her tears then continued, "Liara was terrified of what Benezia could do and well… that time is here and now. She will want to pursue Cameron to avenge her mother's death, and she will tear this galaxy apart to do so. This event will have the asari republics, the high council, the galactic council, and the alliance military on our asses, and she won't care one damn bit." She swallowed hard then took a ragged breath, "I say that, but I honestly don't know what's going to happen to us when I do tell her or when she does find out."

Teyr's mouth dropped open "Fuck, she's going to kill us all, isn't she?"

She shrugged, "Probably, and it won't matter if we run or not. If we run, then it'll only infuriate her more, and she'll think by running we had something to do with it. You all may go if you wish, but I will remain. Liara was my responsibility, and I will accept my fate as to what comes next."

Teyr shook her head, then replied, "Liara was all of our responsibilities, and we all failed her."

-/

A few hours later, Kirre and Teyr hurried down the T'Soni-Shepard shipyard. Kirre glanced at the many ships then she stopped when she saw a small one with the cargo bay doors open. "Shep?"

"Yea?" He called out

"Hey, we weren't sure what to bring."

He smirked when he saw them both with two medium-sized bags and a bag on her back, "Looks like you two brought everything you own."

Kirre shrugged, then lifted one bag then the other "Gear…clothes and other items. We suspected a long trip. Were we wrong?"

"No, it's going to be a while before we return." He pointed to the trash receptacle as they were boarding the cargo bay then said: "I need you two to dump your arm terminals."

Kirre looked back at the receptacle, then back at him and replied: "Why?"

"Because you no longer report to Liara or Shandri. If you're going to travel with me, then you do so as my friend and not under orders. You will not tell her where we're going or what we will be doing. So, if you want to come with me, then your duties end here."

She pinched her brow markings then nodded, "Understood, sir."

He shook his head "No, it's just Shepard or Shep and no more sir."

"Sir, it's out of respect that we say sir, and we will continue to say sir when we feel it's necessary."

He nodded as he said, "Alright." He reached into his side cargo pocket and pulled out two new arm terminals. "Here. This is your new terminal, and your old ones are trash."

She let out a breath as she removed her old one and walked to the nearest trash receptacle and discarded it then returned. "Ok, so what are we doing?"

"Research."

Kirre pinched her brow markings as she said, "Research? When do we do research? That's what Liara did."

He gave a quick brow raise as he replied: "I know..."

She nodded then said, "So, where are we headed? Back to Nefrane?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe…I haven't decided yet."He hovered his hand over his stomach then moved it up and down as he said: "I have the urge to do something, but I'm not sure what."

"Urge?" replied Teyr

He gave a quick grunt, "Mhmm…" He ran his hands over his head, "I can't explain it, but I feel like she's trying to tell me something." He looked at his friends as tears gathered in his eyes. "Maybe it's just me missing her, but I hear her…I see her…she's also in my dreams."

"Your heart is broken, and you're clinging to hold on to her." Said Kirre

He wiped his tears. "I know, and maybe it is just that, but she's racing through me." He paused briefly, then continued, "You know that mode shes in when she zones in on something and loses time in her work."

Teyr smirked, "mmhmm…"

"That's how I feel. It's so Liara, and I feel like she wants me to do something, but I don't know what. The only thing I can think of is research."

"What though?" asked Kirre

"What other than this new discovery." Replied Shepard

"Ahh, so Ilos?"

He nodded then said, "That's what I'm thinking, but why did they take us to Nefrane? There had to be a reason other than a distraction."

Kirre watched as he began to pace and think just as Liara did. Kirre rose her finger as she blurted out, "They did find the city or another relay."

He stopped pacing as he nodded, "Exactly, but why tell us?"

Teyr smirked then quickly said, "He needed her, her expertise in the field, but why kill her?"

He turned toward her, "He didn't. I mean, killing Liara wasn't his plan, and the clone went rogue. He was at the house for a different reason. Cam needed me gone for the clone to get in, but something happened." His eye twitched as he thought for a moment then said, "Liara… is what happened."

Kirre let out a breath as she softly said: "She knew it wasn't you, and the clone killed her."

He looked at them as he nodded slightly, "Maybe…"

Teyr quickly said, "No, it's true. I was there when it happened. There was a ruckus, and she called out for Shay. Shay told us to stay in the foyer as she went in to find out what was wrong. We could hear Liara, and there was a back and forth as she questioned him, but he knew all the answers."

Shepard scrunched his eyebrows and said, "…but, why didn't she kill him?"

Teyr gave a slight shrug, "I don't know, but we all know she could have. She did say she was going to kill him. Maybe it was luck, or maybe he knew, but he struck before she did." Tears drizzled down her face as she continued, "It was such a blow to us all that we froze. It was like our mind just couldn't process what happened. Then the next thing I know, I'm enraged and chasing after you…well, him."

He gave a quick grunt then said, "Hmm…" He let out a long breath as he sat on a small crate "This adventure is going to be a struggle because I'm no Liara and I won't understand the information we'll find if we find anything at all." He looked down then at his friends. "The only other people I know that are similar to her are my children, but their mindset is going to be heartache then revenge. I want to do this for her, but how?"

Kirre walked up to Shepard and placed a hand on his shoulder "We'll figure it out. You're a lot smarter than you think, and we'll work through it together. We can't think like Liara; we need to think as we do."

He nodded as he patted her hand, then said, "You're right. Let's finish up here and head out."

-/

Shepard looked down at his controls then at his destination Nefrane then at his time of arrival, eight hours. He glanced over at autopilot to ensure that it was activated then walked over to his small quarters. He grabbed the box that was left at Nefrane, and his laptop then walked out to the small common area. He set the box on a table then said: "Ok, ladies here it is." He looked at Teyr and said, "You up to speed on everything?"

She nodded and replied, "Yes, sir. I knew of the basics, but Kay has gone into more detail about everything."

"Good." He tapped at his laptop and accessed his wife's files. He knew the way she worked and how she documented everything. He knew he could pull up the item Benezia found, and there would be a paper written about it with detailed pictures.

He reached into the box and pulled out the item and took several imaging scans, and uploaded them to her data file.

Kirre tapped at his laptop and then threw the image on to the closest imaging wall. She pinched one of the images and enlarged it, then grabbed the older image and did the same "The one in the box almost looks newer."

Shepard nodded as he walked up to the old image and said, "So, the one Benezia found is older, much older. How old is undetermined, and this one is old but newer…improved." He ran his hand over his beard " He let out a breath then sat down as he said. "I don't know what the hell I'm looking for."

The commandos smirked, as Teyr said, "She had such a knack for this stuff. Her brain just knew what to look for and knew how to process it."

"I know, and mine is beeping caution brain overload." He said jokingly

They gave a small chuckle and nodded. Kirre pointed to the laptop. "We all know how Liara was, and she has massive amounts of information in her files. We're bound to find something."

Shepard's lips flapped around as he breathed out, then flipped through his wife's files until he came upon several audio logs. He stared at them for a moment then clicked on one of the many audio recordings of his wife. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes when his wife began to talk, "This portal Vilio talked about is quite interesting. I'm going to assume there are more, but where? An ancient species made these, but the who is unknown. My theory on why these were made was for us because of the Reapers. See, the mass relays were made by the reapers for them and for us to travel along a path in their hands. What if these were made in a similar fashion but just for us and unknown to the Reapers. OR for us to escape the Reapers for when they came. BUT why weren't they used? Maybe they were, and that species left, and these were lost to others for forever. Hidden amongst nature and coded uniquely. How many are there? A few? One on each planet? Information all unknown."

He clicked on another audio recording, "Possible races. Inusannon, Prothean, Arthenn all races had the technology to do so. The Protheans took knowledge from the Inusannon, and with that knowledge came the mass effect technology. They were capable of making the Conduit. Were the Inusannon capable of making these other relays? The Arthenn was a flourishing race among multiple worlds but wiped out to an unknown cataclysm. Were they though? Etamis also an advanced race. The unique Chasca rings… are they more than art?"

He clicked on another "It is known that the Protheans took knowledge from the Inusannon. What if, what they learned is the same as what the Inusannon did. The Protheans researched other species. Why? They were a species that wanted complete control of the others. "Join us or die" was their motto. The Protheans were more than just one species due to that motto. That was their way of becoming one as a galaxy. My confusion is, why did they not kill off the primitives? It goes against their motto. Javik mentioned they saved us; they taught us, they uplifted us, but why? Why not enslave us? Why save us? For what purpose? My theory is because it's the same as what the Inusannon did. The protheans were uplifted by the Insuannon and were given the knowledge to be who they were just as they did for us.

Vigil the V.I suggested the prothean scientists all died, but there were no remains. How convenient was it that the top twelve scientists were the last ones to be revived. You would think that they would have been spread out amongst the others but they weren't. He also goes on to say that the Conduit was one way but it wasn't because relays are tethered to send information back and forth. So, where did they go? Ilos was a highly classified city and for a reason, and that was because the top scientists knew of the galaxy relay. If their cryo stasis plan didn't work, then their back up back up plan was to leave entirely if and only if all remaining individuals were dead. If all remaining individuals were dead then that means the Reapers won, and there was no reason to stay in a demolished galaxy."

When her audio file stopped he looked at his friends with raised brows "Wow…All excellent theories." He looked at the file at the never ending pile of audio files. "Should I keep going?"

Teyr nodded "One more and let's take a break as my brain is about to explode."

Shepard chuckled "Yea mine too." He looked at the many audio files and click on one that said "The Id."

"Ilos, and Junthor has megastructures. Signs of high intelligence. I've seen the technology at Ilos but what of Junthor. The Junthor unknown species interests me because their planet also has megastructures. The planet was never truly explored, just as Ilos was never truly explored. The inscription found by Matriarch Dilinaga's said: _"Walk among these works and know our greatness."_ What does that mean? It could mean anything, but what if they're speaking of these galaxy relays. To travel among them and to learn of the other species that are out there. On the flip side of the inscription, it read _"Monsters of the Id."_ A Freudian phrase. So, they're referring to the psyche. Id being instincts. Id being the impulses of our psyche that respond to needs, desires and wants. So, in translation… We are our own downfall. That inscription is true through and through."

His eyes closed as he let out a long breath then said, "There's audio log after audio log in here. We could be at this for years and have no idea what or where."

Teyr nodded then said, "Liara was extensive and always recorded her theories and notes. That way, she could always come back to it and for good measure as we listen to them now. What she said in her recording makes sense. What if these galaxy relays were a way to leave, but they were never utilized or only utilized by a select few." She pointed to the image on the wall "That would explain the difference in the units that were found."

Shepard nodded as he ran his hand over his beard then rose his finger. "Ok, so I'm thinking instead of researching, we just hit the known relay dead on. When we get to our new destination, then we can continue to research the local life and figure out how it works."

Kirre pinched her brow markings. "Ok, so we do what we know how to do, and that's infiltrate, but there's too many of them, and they know us. Well, definitely you. We need to be able to slip in with the crew."

He chewed on his lip. "Let's reset the course for Omega. There are people there that can do black market mods and an asari that I need speak to."

"Aria?" asked Teyr

"mmHmmm. She's our only viable option into the crew." Replied Shepard. He looked at his friends as he stood, "Set our course. I need time to think." He walked to his quarters, then sat in the closest chair and closed his eyes as her words flowed throughout his mind. He ran his hand over his beard, then pulled at it slightly, then ran his hand through his hair. He stood and slowly walked to the bathroom and up to the counter as the light auto illuminated. He stared at himself for a long moment, then bent down and opened his cabinet door, and grabbed his trimmer. He flipped it on, and he looked at it as it buzzed then at himself. His wife loved his hair, and he grew it out just to please her, and the people of today knew him as he looked now.

He grabbed at his long hair and mowed through his hair with that trimmer until there was just a prickle of hair left. He set down the trimmer, then took a hold of his razor that was rarely ever used, then lathered his face and shaved it bare. He looked down at the locks of hair scattered in the sink, on the counter, and on the floor, and the moment he looked up, he saw his wife standing in the doorway next to him. He quickly spun around just to see her not there. The palm of his hand suddenly came up to the side of his head as he rapped on it a few times, "Fuck!" He turned and placed his hands on the sink as he dropped his head. "What are you trying to tell me?" He began to tremble when he heard her softly call out his name, "Shepard…"

"It's important, I know, but what? Give me more." He pleaded. His body shivered when he felt her, then his eyes closed, and he saw visions of his daughter Gwyndolyn. He scrunched his face, "I don't understand. Gwyn? No, I'm not involving her in this." He shook his head "I know she could help with the tech and so much more, but I'm not involving her or any of the others. I will figure this out on my own."

—/

**Omega - Three days later…**

Shepard took a deep breath and called his daughter Annabelle from his small rental room on Omega. She smiled when she answered the call, and it faded immediately at the look on her father's face. A look she's never seen before it was emptiness, sadness, and pain. She pinched her brow markings and gently said, "Dad, what's wrong? What the fuck happened?"

He didn't speak at first but just shook his head then said softly said: "Your mother is...dead."

She scrunched her face as tears immediately gathered in her eyes when an excruciating pain struck her heart. She took a ragged breath as she barely got out "What?"

He closed his eyes as he could hear the pain in her tone, and it made his heart hurt even more. "Yes, she was killed about a week ago at home."

She grit her teeth then yelled, "And you're just know fucking tell me! What the fuck?"

He looked down, then nodded, "I'm sorry…" He wiped the tears from his face then said: "Your mother left you in charge of everything as you are the next T'Soni in line to take over."

She quickly shook her head "No, I'm not her. I'm nothing like mom, and I don't want her fucking job!"

He scrunched his face. "I'm sorry, Bella, but you are now the matriarch of your lineage and everything that goes with it. Believe me, your mother didn't want the responsibility either when her mother died, but it was hers to take, and she did."

She shook her head "Well, I don't want it!"

He let out a breath, "Bella, you're a leader, and you always have been."

She looked off to the side as she sniffled, "I can't do what mom did. I don't run fucking companies, and I'm sure as shit, not a voice or image of or for the fucking people!"

"Don't worry about the people, and your mother has her companies on autopilot, especially with EDI overlooking them. The only thing you need to worry about is your lineage and your sisters, that's all. Think about it, but the choice is yours to do so, or you can pass it down to your sister Benezia." He paused then continued, "Listen to me… you're the eldest, and you need to keep your sister in check."

She let out a quick laugh, "Benezia? Yea ok… Dad, there's no keeping Nezzie in check. When she hears about this, she's going to go ballistic, and you fucking know that!"

He nodded slightly, "I know, and there won't be a damn thing you can do about it, but you can try and be the voice of reason."

"Why would I try to stop her? I'm going to be by her side for this!" She replied as her tone escalated

He grit his teeth a few times as he nodded then softly said, "Bella, take care of your sisters and watch your six. I must go now. I have something I need to do."

She jerked her head back as she pinched her brow markings. "What? Wait—"

Was the last thing she said to him before he cut her off, and his screen went black. He exited his room as he removed his arm terminal and dropped it on the floor then stepped on it repeatedly until it was in several pieces. He looked up then down the dark, dank corridor. He grunted at the stench of the surrounding people as he continued to walk into the depths of Omega until he reached his destination. The door chimed as he walked through, and he saw a few tattoo artists working on their customers. He looked at each of them and said, "Dubois? I'm looking for a Dubois?"

A woman with a thick accent turned her head slightly as she was finishing up her work and replied, "I'm Dubois. Do you have an appointment?"

Shepard walked over to her and dropped a chit in the small metal plate that was on the table near her and replied, "Sure do, and there's my appointment card."

The young light-skinned brunette removed her ocular device covering her right eye and grabbed the chit then glanced at the hefty sum. "Ahh, you're right; it seems you are next. I need five more minutes, and I'll be finished here." When she was finished, she stood and waved him over to her as she walked toward another room and said, "This way. We can talk in a more secure room."

Once they entered the room, she locked it and said: "So, you obviously aren't here for a tattoo but something...more, no?"

Shepard looked her over and replied, "Yes, I'm here for a modification. I've heard from the vine that you are the best black market modifications dealer and installer."

She smirked, "That I am. You want a body modification installed, augments, upgrades; then I'm your girl. You name it; then I can do it."

He smiled, "Good, then I'm here for a modification."

"Ahhh modification, eh?" She patted her medical chair. "Have a seat. Mister?"

"Mister is fine..." he said as he sat in her chair.

She arched a brow as she replied, "Alright...So, what are we doing?"

He swirled his hand over his face. "Years ago, I had some facial modifications done. I want them removed and amplified."

Her eyebrows raised as she said, "Interesting. Most people want repairs, not the removal of repairs."

Shepard turned his head slightly toward her "Can you not do it?"

She replied quickly, "Oh, no, no, I can. It's just an odd request." She moved a large magnifying type lens over one side of his face and zoomed in as she scanned it. "Hmm... this is interesting. You have a weave and extensive facial repairs."

"Yea... the weave can stay."

She nodded, and she made a few adjustments on her lens. "Wow, there's more to these repairs than I expected, though. There are different types here and levels that I've never seen before. I mean, these are some high-grade repairs and mega expensive. Are you sure you want this removed?"

He let out a breath, "I know. I've had several parts of me regrown and my face being one of them. At one point, I had what looked like red cracks all through my face. Those repairs are what I want to be removed and the cracks to remain."

She pinched her brows. "Hmm, just the cracks, eh? I can do my best to do just that. Anything else?"

He nodded, then pointed to the side of his head and face where his claw mark scars were and said: "I want these scars biotically illuminated." He removed his shirt and pointed to his chest, then turned and pointed to his back "These too."

Dubois arched her brow at the numerous faint scars throughout his upper body "I see you've been through some battles."

He nodded, "Too many to count."

She looked him over then through her lens as she waited for her results to finish. She pinched her brows when she got her results. "I hate to say this, but this high tech material is bonded, and there's no... let's say...scooping it out. Your face is one as it should be and with quality of this mega-expensive shit. I can definitely do the other part that you asked." She gently slid a finger down his cheek as she said, "I can extend these and amplify the claw marks. Gruesome, I'm guessing is the effect you're looking for?"

He nodded, "Fine..." He glanced over at her and said: "No, not gruesome but battled hardened and resilient." He raised a finger and said, "I want the scars to remain and to be seen." He swirled his finger, "The illumination will go around, not in."

She blinked a few times at his request, then nodded as she replied, "Ok. I'll walk you through it as I go; that way, there's no misunderstanding."

"Perfect."

She placed her external ocular device on her eye as it made soft mechanical noises at it searched his face. She smiled when she saw the other upgrades, "Amazing, I've seen a semi-permanent ocular such as this, but yours is permanent and more advanced." She touched his temple, "This as well, but yours is also much more advanced." She trickled her fingers down his arm, "Oooh, these little guys so very rare." She gently touched the back of his neck "But this...I've never seen anything like this. Everything flows through here... it's almost like a secondary brain." She smiled broadly as she removed her ocular device and said: "You have some serious upgrades, and this has GTS tech written all over it." She bobbed her finger in the air as she stood "I will say she has some of the best shit out there but what you have in your neck is not available or even heard of. So, either you stole it, or you know her personally."

"Does it matter?" He snipped.

She leaned against the closest wall. "Usually, it doesn't, but we all know you don't fuck with a T'Soni, and I don't need or want them at my door. The last two that sought my help well the T'Soni's came looking for them when I was on Alcazar, and that didn't go so well for Alcazar. They sent a message, and it was heard loud and fucking clear."

He smirked, "I've heard. I'm here for only what we discussed and not for the GTS tech." He reached in his pocket and pulled out another chit. "Here, I can pay more."

She looked at the chit, then walked over to him and sat down. "Fuck... you're already paying out the ass. How can I pass this up?" She said as she picked up the chit. She looked him over then glanced down at his wedding band and bracelet "What will your wife think of this change to such a handsome face?"

Shepard grunted then replied softly, "She won't think anything of it."

—/

After his modification, he walked to the Afterlife to speak with Aria T'Loak. Eyes were on him as he walked through the club, and they stared at his glowing scars. He looked at one of Aria's goons that stood at the base of her stairs then said: "I need to speak with Aria T'Loak."

He smirked, "Aria doesn't speak with just any riff-raff off the street. Her time is precious."

"I know all about her fucking time. You tell her it's about the black widow."snipped Shepard

The guy arched a brow and hit his comm unit to relay Shepard's message then moved to allow him to pass. The moment he came into view of Aria, she said: "Who the fuck are you and what do you want or what do you know?"

"Aria, I've come to give you a heads up."

She pinched her brow markings, "A heads up? For what?"

"Yea…" He paused as his words got stuck in his throat, "…Liara's dead."

Aria blinked rapidly as her mouth dropped open slightly, then she squinted her eyes to look at him better then softly said "Shepard?" When she realized it was him, she stood and walked to her office "With me." Once they were in her office, she turned and said: "I'm sorry, Shepard, but what does this have to do with me?"

He closed his eyes then replied, "Cameron and I believe Jessie sent the person who killed her."

Aria closed her eyes as she grit her teeth and growled "How fucking stupid can they be? Fuck!"

"Benezia will come for them… and possibly you. Mili will be torn on which side to take. To fight with her bondmate against you or protect her sister and you and fight against her bondmate."

Aria let out a breath "A fucking war has begun because of two stupid kids. My Lizzie loves Benezia too much to fight against her." She shook her head as she said, "Sisters fighting against each other, and one is more powerful than the other. I'm going to lose my kids, aren't I?"

He looked down as he replied, "I've already lost my kids, Aria…" he paused for a moment then said, "I need to know how do you get through."

Aria shrugged, "I have no idea."

"Oh, bullshit! I know you know!"

"I don't! I've never seen this portal or fucking relay in person. I've never seen it activated, and I've never been there."

"He can't be the only one activating it."

She shook her head "No, Jess has the other key. Those are the only two that I know of that function." She pushed off the side of her desk that she was leaning on and said, "I will tell you this, though. A shipment of goods and supplies go through quarterly."

Shepard tapped at his arm terminal, "Quarterly? So every three months."

She nodded, "I have a crew leaving tonight to make the quarterly drop, and the portal will open in two weeks. Tell them I sent you. I'll approve of it." She looked him over then said, "What the fuck am calling you. Slash? What?

He shrugged, "I don't care, but it's not just me. I have two commandos with me."

She huffed then hissed, "You're making this complicated."

"It's not fucking complicated. Get them two eclipse uniforms, and they'll need a marking."

Aria curled her lip. "No, if I'm sending Omega crew, then that's what it'll be! Look, I don't know what you're trying to do, but this will be my only involvement, and you're on your own after this." She walked over to a large cabinet and opened a drawer and grabbed three items, then tossed them to him. "Take these to Dubois, and she'll know what to do."

Shepard looked down at the small coin-shaped item that had an Omega symbol on it "What the fuck is this?"

A smile slowly formed on her face, "Omega verification."

"You're going to have me fucking branded?" snarled Shepard

Aria laughed slowly. "Do you want passage through or not?"

He clenched the coins in his hand, then turned and stormed out as he growled "Argh fuck!"

She smiled then said, "Enjoy your trip."

-/

Shepard and his two commandos were loading the last bits of cargo into the glowing portal when he heard his wife in his head. "Shepard…" He turned and looked toward the exit as he felt a sensation to leave. He looked at the portal then back at the exit then heard the nearby goon say "Hey! Let's go; time is ticking but you should know that as long as there is something in the portal, it won't close. It seems to be a fail-safe, so it doesn't close on you and slice you half. The first time through is a bit of a roller coaster and most puke, but just breathe, and you'll be fine."

"Hmmm… good to know." Replied Shepard.

"Aria said you three were taking the cargo through instead of us. When you get there have it checked in with Stephen, hes a tall motherfucker with red hair. Once it's checked in he'll have you escort it to section nine. When you're done there, go to section two for housing, and they'll have something for you, and they'll provide a map of what is what. There's a rotation when the delivery crews come back through." He looked at his arm terminal. "So, I'm guessing for you three maybe nine months to a year until you return, if you return at all."

Shepard nodded as he looked at his friends, "Right. Thanks." He stared at the exit for what felt like forever, then turned and walked through the portal with the others. As his body was almost completely submerged in the portal he heard his wife scream out to him, "Shepard!"


	9. It Was Necessary

Shepard Stories III

**Ch 9: It Was Necessary**

**Armali, Thessia - Anna Shepard's residence - 2310CE**

"What? Wait!" was the last thing Anna said before her arm terminal screen went black. She grunted, then fumed, "Fuck!" Her hands came up to her face, and she began to cry as her body trembled. Her eyes closed tight as she thought of the words that her father told her many years ago. _"You won't understand until the day comes when you'll want or need her, and she's not around to give you what you want. Then you'll think back on that day when you said you didn't need her."_ She didn't quite understand the emotion rippling through her body. She's had experienced loss before with her uncle Alex and her grandparents, but nothing this significant. Someone she never thought of leaving her this soon or so sudden. She thought about all those times she should have called her and spent time with her more. The times they didn't see eye to eye and argued over stupid things. All the days coming that she'll never have with her again. She sniffled as the tears streamed down her face, then she turned when her shadow spoke.

Her shadow protector Naida walked into the room and saw her friend crying, "Wow… are you crying that's a rarity." She said as she laughed gently.

Anna nodded as she softly grunted, "Nmmm…." She stood there as her words were stuck in her throat, and she didn't want to release them, but they softly escaped. "My…umm… mother is dead… she was umm… apparently killed at home."

Naida froze as she was pouring herself a cup of tea. She dropped her cup as she turned slowly and said, "Oh my god! How can that be?" She shook her head softly as she continued, "I mean, were they raided? How many of them are dead?"

Anna shook her head as she shrugged then replied, "I don't know the details. I can't believe it either, and my mind won't comprehend it until I see her with my own eyes." She looked down then back at her friend as she rubbed her forehead "Naida, I… don't know what to do. My mother had so much responsibility that I honestly don't want. She was brilliant in every way, and I'm nothing like her. I… don't even know where to begin."

Naida walked over to Anna and hugged her tightly. "Anna, you're brilliant in your own way, and no one can compare to your mother. Be who you are, and you'll be fine."

Anna took a deep breath, then said, "Thank you. Umm, let's head over there and get this whole thing started."

-/

**Kendra Ocean, Thessia**

Benezia and her bondmate Milizkia were in Kendra Ocean on business at one of their home's enjoying their evening when she received a call from her sister Anna. She looked down at her arm terminal when it buzzed. She smiled as she answered the call from her sister, "Hey?" Her face fell immediately when she saw her sister's face, a face she's only seen a handful of times on her stone-cold sister. "What's the matter?"

Anna sniffled then took a ragged breath, and her voice cracked as she spoke: "Nez, ummm... mom is dead."

Her heart instantly fell into the pit of her stomach. She blinked rapidly as her face scrunched and she barely got out "What? Are you sure?"

She nodded then said, "Yea... I'm looking at her lifeless body on a fucking slab." Her hand moved back and forth near her neck as she spoke, "Her ummm… throat was cut, and…she couldn't be saved."

Tears trailed down her face, and her chest tightened. The air in her lungs escaped her as if she was just punched in her gut. "Let me see.." she murmured. When her mother came into view, she couldn't believe her own eyes because there's no way her mother could be dead, but she was right there on a slab cold as night. "Who did this?" she asked

Anna turned the camera back to her and replied "Umm according to Shandri it was Cameron—

The moment she heard Cameron, her body began to tremble, and her hands balled into fists, then she blurted out, "Cameron?" She paused then quickly said, "I'll be there as soon as I can." Her finger jabbed at her arm terminal as she made her way toward her front door and muttered: "He's a dead man."

"Aren't you going to change?" Asked her shadow Lindanux.

Benezia stopped abruptly then looked down at her silk nightshirt and shorts. She turned on her heel as bitterness flowed from her mouth, "Oh yea, because my dead mother is going to care about what the FUCK I'm wearing!" She glared at her for a long moment then looked over at her bondmate, then turned and walked out.

-/

Three hours later…

Anna looked over toward Shandri when she spoke to her. "Anna, we have company. It looks to be your sister Benezia."

Anna let out a long breath, then got up from her chair and made her way to the front door then out toward the landing pad. She watched as the shuttle door opened, then Milizkia and their two shadows exited as did a few others. Anna's eyes darted from face to face, then said: "Where's Nezzie?"

Mili pinched her brow markings and quickly replied, "Wait… she's not here?"

Anna shook her head, then said, "No." She looked at Mili as she looked at her, then they both said, "Fuck!" She turned to Shay and said, "She went after Cameron. Have my mother's ship ready and fully stocked. We need armor and weapons. I want my equipment on her ship before we get there." She pointed to Mili and said, "Are you with me?"

"I'm going, but I'll take my ship as it's already stocked with my things." She waved her hand at her girls to get back in the shuttle "Let's move. She already has the jump on us." She looked back at Anna, "You need to call galactic councilor Irissa and tell her to evacuate Alcazar immediately."

Anna smirked. "She won't do that. The galactic council doesn't give two shits about the people on Alcazar."

Mili shook her head "I don't care about the mercenaries or gangs on Alcazar it's all the innocent people that have no choice but to live there." She pointed at her as she said, "Benezia is going to unleash her innermost demon, and death is all it will bring. She will leave a trail of bodies for us to find because they'll all be dead before we even get there." Tears began to trickle down her face. "You all THINK you know her inner self, but none of you have a fucking clue." She pointed to herself, "I've seen it." She pointed to her head, "Here." Mili paused for a long moment then continued, "Liara was right to be scared of these powers because the more in-depth you use them, the more they do consume you. Not me or your mother but Nezzie… there's something different with her. What happened to Liara was ALL she needed to flip that switch inside her."

Anna spat back, "He killed her, then he deserves to die!"

"That he does, but not hundreds or thousands for one man's ignorance. The destruction she'll do won't be anything that you've ever seen. Call them or don't call them, but you're the Spectre and the Matriarch of her lineage. They'll come to you when the galaxy views her as a problem."

Anna placed her hand on her chest as her frothy words left her mouth, "Me? She's your bondmate; they'll come to you first."

Mili scoffed as she glared at her. "Oh, way to take control, Anna. You know what? Why don't you stay here? I'll handle MY bondmate!" She turned as she mumbled, "You bitch…"

-/

Meanwhile...

Benezia stood near a wall as she peered out a large window and looked toward the stars then the docking station at Alcazar. She had no intention of going to see her dead mother. She didn't want to hear about the how or the reason why all of them failed her. What she wanted was justice for her mother, and she would deal with her mother's crew another day. She calmly walked to the bathroom and turned the water on then gently splashed her face. When she was finished, she grabbed a paper towel and dabbed the water off it then wiped her hands. She tossed the towel into the receptacle; then, her hand came down to her belt to a small rectangular box filled with tiny concentrated eezo pills. She clicked it a few times, and a few pills fell into her hand then she popped them in her mouth then tapped at her arm terminal. Her face was stone cold as she tapped at her arm terminal to ring her brother, and there was no emotion when he answered.

"Benezia..." said Cameron

"Cameron, it has come to my attention that you are permanently on my fucking shit list. It was bad enough what you did to our father and my sister, but THIS! This is unforgivable."

He rose his hand, "No, no, wait! Listen, ok. He went rogue... He was there for intel-only, and I specifically told him not to harm anyone. I did not want this."

"It doesn't matter what you did or didn't want. You sent him, and now MY mother is dead! I want justice, and I will get it."

He dropped his head. "I figured as much, and I've been expecting you. I honestly expected you several days ago." He smirked, "You're not getting on this station."

Her laugh came slowly; then, she smiled evilly, "You know what's great about arm terminals? It's that I can show you only want I want you to see." She detached the small camera and tossed it in the air and had it zoom out from her clean face as she walked out of the bathroom. The horror appeared as he saw her blood-covered armor and the numerous dead bodies lying throughout the docking station, and the bodies continued as she walked. "I'm already here…"

"Don't do this." He pleaded

She smirked, "Oooh, I am. Are you going to run like a little bitch?"

"I will have them kill you!" He growled

She threw her head back and laughed, "Have them come! I have something for them!" She replied, then hung up. Benezia made her way to the Presidium, and as she made her way there, she was like a maestro conducting a symphony. A flick a here, a twist there, a squeeze, then a release. She left body after body as if it were breadcrumbs for someone to find.

Benezia took deep breaths and a few more eezo tablets as the enemy surrounded her. She leaned behind a pillar then looked up when she heard her brother "I told you I was ready for you! Surrender now, and I won't kill you."

Benezia laughed then said, "You think you have me? No, no, no, I have all of you right where I want you to be." She glanced around each side of the column at the men and women then she smiled. "Kol, you're a fucking dead man!" She turned the corner and dashed out into the open. Her blue skin was blazing a fierce red, and it flowed under her as if she was on a red mist.

Kol's men quickly raised their weapon and unloaded bullet after bullet at her with no avail. Benezia formed a bubble around her as she dashed, then suddenly she lifted into the air, and her bubble whirled violently then exploded. Hundreds of tiny shards of aura flew throughout the Presidium without any regard to who or what it hit. Whether it were enemies, innocents, plant life or anything else, but whatever those shards hit died.

A nearby man gasped as a needle-like shard pierced straight through his kinetic barrier then ate its way through his armor. He gasped as it quickly dissolved into his skin then he fell to his knees as he screamed out in agony. His face scrunched as his hand clenched at his chest, and red burning streaks crawled up his neck then on to his face and throughout the rest of his body as it solidified the blood throughout. He shrieked out as he pulled at his armor, then his shrieking stopped, and he fell to the ground motionless.

Benezia smiled as she looked around as she heard thud after thud as their bodies fell like dominos throughout the Presidium. She glanced at the ones remaining as she dispensed several more eezo tablets into her hand then popped them in her mouth. As she crunched on the tablets, she looked toward the location Cameron was, but he was no longer there. She grit her teeth then muttered, "Coward..." she looked around at the few that were left then said, "How many more have to die? Hmm? I will stop when I get what I want. Who here is willing to make it all stop?"

A man stepped forward and said, "What the hell do you want?"

"I warned you all the last time I was here, but you don't listen. I want Kol Blackstone on a fucking platter so I can rip his heart from his fucking chest!" She raised her hand and pointed at where he last stood. "Your leader is a fucking coward, and it appears that he's always going to run like the bitch that he is."

He looked at this glowing evil before him as he watched when several men tried to make a move to kill her as he distracted her. With ease, she flicked her hand and snapped their necks.

"I'm losing my fucking patience with you scumbags. Try it again, and I'll just kill the rest of you!" She hissed as her body flared.

"So, you'll leave if we help you?" Said another

Benezia stood there for a moment and thought about what Cameron said. _He was ready for her. So he would have planned for an evac._ _The man she saw probably wasn't even him, and he wouldn't have stuck around waiting for her. Several days...? Mom has_ _been dead for days_ _? Interesting._ She pinched her brow markings then said: "Where would he have gone?"

The man looked around at his crew; then, a few gave him a head nod as he tapped at his arm terminal, "Ilos, it's in the Terminus System about a week from here."

Benezia smiled as she replied, "But he's been gone, hasn't he? He holds the key to the portal. So tell me, how do I get through?"

The men looked around at each other, then they nodded again, and the same man replied as he tapped at his arm terminal. "Our quarterly run is soon. A little over a week and a half. A shipment pick up from the Belters and other cargo needed before it's sent through. Omega makes the handoff at the portal."

Benezia smiled broadly as she tapped at her arm terminal then said, "Send me those coordinates to Ilos and to the current belt being mined. If I am pleased with my findings, then I will not return."

-/

Milizkia pulled into Alcazar space and noticed her bondmate's ship not at the docking station but nearby. She tapped at her console and hailed her "Babe, answer me." She waited for an answer but didn't receive one. She looked at Alcazar then back at the ship then back at Alcazar. "Fuck, she teleported there when they denied her." She pointed to the docking station. "Find a spot this station is most likely automated."

She didn't wait for Anna or her crew as she exited her ship. Her eyes immediately fell upon the bodies on the ground. She shook her head as she spoke, "We're too late. The question now is, how many are dead, and can we stop her?"

"Stop her? And why would you want to do that, my love?" said Benezia as she made her way into the docking station.

Mili let out a breath as she looked at her blood-covered lover, "Fuck, Nez, how many did you kill?"

She smirked, "I don't know. I didn't count them, but I would say a significantly high number."

"So, now what? Hmm? You go on a killing spree? You continue like this, and the whole damn galaxy will be hunting you because of one fucking guy."

She scoffed, "Yes, for one fucking guy! My mother is dead! She deserves justice, and I don't care how many I kill, but I will do this for her."

Mili nodded. "I understand, and you're right Liara does deserve justice but let me tell you what I was briefed on, on the way here. The man that killed your mother was your dad."

Benezia shook her head as she took a step back and softly said: "No… he would never."

"You're right; he would never, but this was the clone. The clone we saw in the facility that one day. Cameron made his way into the facility and stole the clone and Miranda. Here's the other thing your father left to do something, but he didn't say what. Kirre and Teyr are with him."

She pinched her brow markings as she thought for a moment then said, "Dad knows something, but what? He wouldn't have just left for no reason." She bobbed her finger in the air. "And there's no way Cameron could have bypassed Gwyn's security without her knowing. So how come she didn't tell anyone?" She looked at her bondmate as she said: "Something is not right here."

Mili nodded as she replied, "What's bizarre is I've seen the footage. She let them in and let his crew take them."

She shook her head "She would never do that. She had to of been under duress."

"Exactly or something else. Now use your brain and not your hatred. We need to figure this out before we proceed." She looked back, then said, "Anna is not far behind."

She rubbed her face then said, "Cameron fled as usual. His crew gave him up after I slaughtered most of them. He's still in this galaxy for now, but the conduit is no longer on Alcazar, and neither was he. If he has Miranda, then he's moving her for good, especially now." She paused for a moment then said, "Gwyn's involvement doesn't make sense. She would have never helped him, especially if it was to help kill our mother. If something did happen, she would have said something, but she didn't. Why?"

Mili slowly looked at her bondmate and said, "Because she planned it, but something went wrong; that's why she didn't say anything."

Benezia clenched her jaw then said, "Let's head back to the estate. I need to speak to Gwyn. I'll contact Anna and have her round up the other sisters. I'll get to the bottom of this."

—/

**Armali, Thessia – T'Soni-Shepard Estate**

Benezia exited her ship and headed straight for the house. She stalked through the door and immediately said: "Where's Gwyndolyn?" She looked among all the teary-eyed sisters that walked toward her until her eyes came upon ones that were not when she heard her sister Gwyn say, "I'm here."

Benezia narrowed her eyes at her non-reaction to the death of their mother. She knew she would be a blubbering mess if their mother died. She quickly said, "Who are you?"

Gwyn quickly pinched her brow markings. "What do you mean?"

She instantly flicked her wrist at her and pulled her towards her, "I said WHO the fuck are you!" She looked around at everyone then said, "My little sister would be completely devastated if her mother died and you aren't. So who the fuck are you!"

"It's me and your right I would be but—"

Benezia curled her lip as she slammed her hand on her chest "But nothing! I'll find out what the hell is going on here."

-/

**Armali, Thessia – GTS Tech – Restricted Facility**

Gwyn looked up when she heard her mother call out her name, "Gwyndolyn?" She smiled then stepped away from her computer as she walked toward her mother, "Mom, I'm coming toward you." She smiled when she saw her mother, "Hi, and welcome."

Liara smiled as she hugged her daughter, then said: "What is all this?"

"Oh, just this and that."

"Hmm… and I'm sure I wouldn't understand," she replied as she chuckled. "So, what do you need to talk to me about?"

Gwyn rubbed the side of her leg then looked around as she said: "Where's Shay?"

"Oh, lovely security you have here. It wouldn't let her in the door. So she's waiting right outside."

Gwyn smiled, "Perfect! Umm, can you tell her we'll be about umm roughly three hours if she wants to peruse around town then come back? I promise you're safe here."

Liara pinched her brow markings then laughed "What are we doing for three hours? Also, Shay does not peruse, nor does she leave me anywhere. She'll be highly perturbed can we just let her in?"

"No, this is my restricted area, and I don't want her in here," Gwyn said with irritation.

"Your acting odd. Why—"

"Mom, seriously, we're in a highly restricted area, and I just want to talk to you. I mean goodness…"

She jerked her head back slightly at her daughter's odd reaction, then replied, "Ok, I'm sorry. I'll let her know."

Gwyn rubbed her forehead as she chewed on her lip then stopped when she saw her mother come back around the corner. As her mother walked to her, she said: "So, what's so important?"

"Ummm, Kol."

She arched a brow. "So, you heard, huh? Yea, he took her, and I have no idea where. Great."

Gwyn shook her head. "This has been bothering me for some time, and I need to tell you." She waved her hand at the closest chair and said: "Please sit."

Her mother sat then said, "Whatever it is, it's definitely weighing on you."

She let out a breath, "You're right, it is. Sam might have told him where Miranda was, but I was the one that let him in."

Liara scoffed. "Why would you do that?"

"It was necessary, and for a good reason." She quickly rose her finger as her mother was about to refute, "Just let me finish." She took a breath, "I knew he wanted to seek her out. I knew someone was leaking information within my company, but I didn't know who it was. I suspected Thomas, and I withdrew him from anything important, but I kept him on to keep an eye on him. The curve was that it was Sam helping him, and I never suspected." She waved her hands "This room is restricted from everyone but myself and whoever I let in. Here is where I do my most important work and where I now keep my most valuable things." She took hold of her mother's hand and walked her to a location within her lab then tapped at a small panel. When a door revealed, she walked in and said: "Our Miranda is here."

Liara scrunched her brow markings then shook her head. "Wait… if she's here then who was at the facility."

"Miranda…"

She cocked her head to the side and replied, "Huh? I'm confused."

She placed her hand on the pod and said, "This is the one and only true Miranda. The one at the facility was a clone. I knew he wanted her, and therefore I made a clone of her. The last time I was there, I switched them out."

Her mother let out a quick chuckle "So, he has a clone of his mother. Won't he realize that when he wakes her to a blank slate?"

She shook her head, "Not necessarily… I've ummm made some modifications. I have a feeling he's not going to wake her for good reasons. Her body is rapidly degrading, and she won't last long." She tapped at her arm terminal then said: "With my calculations, her pod will have a malfunction, and she will perish."

She nodded, "Hmm…True. He's going to dangle her in my face. Bait me with her even."

"Probably." She rose a finger as she smiled "But I did tag her with a locator."

"You are brilliant. So, where is she?"

She tapped at her arm terminal. "She was on Alcazar for some time, but she's currently in transit somewhere in the Terminus System."

Her eyes flashed, "I bet he's taking her off galaxy."

Gwyn placed a hand on her mother. "There's something I want to do, but I would feel better with your permission."

"Of course, what do you have in mind."

"Well, the gears in my head turned when Benezia said that our enemies would infiltrate us, and I gave him something to do that with."

Liara blinked rapidly then cocked her head, "What?"

"With what I gave him, he will come eventually, and I need you to be the bait."

Liara gasped. "What? Are you out of your mind? What if I get killed? Your sisters will go on a rampage! Your father will never approve of this."

"I know, but you need to die—"

Her eyes grew wide "Wait; you want me to die?" She backed away, "You've lost it, Gwyndolyn."

Gwyn shook her head. "No, no, it's the only way he'll stop but just listen. It won't be you that dies but a clone of you. I would never put you in any type of danger."

Liara turned toward her daughter. "And how do you accomplish this?"

"Easy, I make a clone of you and put you in cryo until he kills you."

She scoffed, "What if your plan doesn't work? What if your sister doesn't listen and go on a rampage. What if your father sees me dead it will break his heart. This is too risky." Her face fell as her mind raced, and she backed away slowly as she said, "This is why you tell me now because he's gone and will be gone for weeks. You planned this and have been waiting for this…"

Gwyn scrunched her face as she looked down. "You're right I did plan this." She said then shot her mother with a tranquilizer dart. She quickly walked up to her mother and grabbed her as her body went limp. "I'm sorry, mother, but I can't have you getting killed." She dragged her body to the cloning machine and laid her down. She hooked into her neurotransmitter then glanced down at the time. "Perfect, your back-up doesn't run until this evening, so your clone won't have any recollection of this conversation." She waited as her clone was being printed then she carefully placed her mother on a bed under sedation.

Gwyn gasped as she released from Benezia's hold and shrieked, "You bitch!"

Benezia blinked hard then said, "Oh, I'm the bitch? Says the one that's done all of this."

Anna was the first to speak, "What the fuck is going on?"

Benezia scoffed, "Mom's not fucking dead." She looked at her younger sister and said, "Right, Gwyn?" She pointed toward the morgue and said: "That's a fucking clone."

Several gasps came out, then Shandri said, "Impossible! I've been with her the whole time."

"Really the whole time?" replied Benezia

"Well, I mean except at night, but I'm with your mother all day long. There's no way she switched out as a clone. Besides, she's no blank slate." She looked toward the morgue, "I mean, it's her to the T." Her eyes darted around the room then said: "I mean the way she questioned him was HER."

Gwyn nodded, "I know and exactly how I wanted it to be. Undeniably my mother and you couldn't tell the difference. None of you could."

Shandri's mouth dropped open, then she grit her teeth "The day you talked to her for three hours is the day you switched her. Isn't it? The day she didn't feel well and fainted."

Gwyn let out a breath. "Yes, it was, and as you can see, …it was required to save her life. We had to suspect that they would try to infiltrate this home, and they did. I did what was necessary to protect her."

"And you did a fantastic job, little sister." Replied Benezia. "I'm not angry with you, but it would have been nice to know instead of feeling this horrible pain that shot through my body. It would have saved hundreds of lives. But you were too late to inform us. You fucked up, and now people are dead, and dad is gone. All because of you. So tell me something, little sister. Why haven't you awaken our mother? Hmmm?"

Gwyn looked down and shook her head.

Benezia smirked, "Ahhh, it's because you're afraid to because your plan went to shit. You expected daddy to call us the moment it happened, but he didn't. He called Anna several days later then Anna called me, but she didn't call any of you until it was too late. Oh, mother is going to be pissed and at her precious Gwyndolyn."

Gwyn cringed at her sister's words as she lowered her head, "I'm sorry, but I felt this was the only way to bring true to reaction."

Anna rubbed at her chest. "That was a shit thing to do! Gwynne, my fucking heart stopped when I heard then to see her like that with her fucking throat cut. You ripped her from our lives, and she's not even fucking dead." She wiped her tears from her face "You think I'm going to be able to remove that scene from my fucking mind? You have no idea the pain you have done to all of us. Dad was a fucking mess, and I fucking hate you right now."

Gwyn scrunched her face as she looked at everyone "I honestly didn't think of that. I do apologize." She looked down, then said, "I love my mother too much for something like this to happen to her, and I felt it was absolutely necessary."

-/

**Armali, Thessia – T'Soni-Shepard Estate**

Liara's eyes opened slowly then she looked around her bedroom. She grunted as she sat up and placed a hand on her pounding head "nMmm." Her body jerked as she quickly touched the side of her neck then she yelled, "Gwyndolyn!" She looked at the door when several entered her room. Her eyes darted from daughter to daughter then said: "What did you do?"

Gwyn stepped forward, "Just as I told you that day, but my plan didn't quite work out."

"Didn't quite…" she stopped when she didn't feel them. She quickly looked down at her naked wrist and hand. Liara promptly looked up and said, "Where are my things?"

Gwyn rubbed her arm as she spoke: "Ummm, daddy took them."

Liara slid off her bed as she said: "Where is your father?" She looked at her daughter cringe at her words, and she knew instantly that he left. She began to tremble as tears trailed down her face then she yelled: "What have you done!"

Gwyn began to cry, "Momma, I'm sorry."

Liara quickly walked to her and scornfully said: "How could you?" She waved her hand at everyone as she said, "All of you. Get out!" When everyone just stood there, she turned and yelled: "GET OUT!" She took ragged breaths as she looked around her room, then her eyes came upon the bloodstain floor. It hit her like a bolt of lightning, and she began to remember the pain. "I felt you in pain, but how? Goddess, you were in so much pain." She grabbed at her heart "I've never felt this type of pain from you, and I tried to reach out to you." She looked around the room, "Where are you? Where did you go?" She sat down in the same chair he did and took deep breaths as she closed her eyes, then she remembered the scattered vivid dreams. She stood quickly and pointed to the chair, "You were here. Then you were on your ship. You had a key; then, you changed your appearance. Why?" She pulled at her lip then mumbled, "Ilos… you went to Ilos."

Liara ran out of her room and quickly said, "Shay, I want my ship ready to go NOW. We need to get to Ilos on the double."

Benezia looked at her bondmate and pinched her brow markings at her mother's request. She turned to her mother and said: "Why Ilos?"

"Because that's where your father is." Replied Liara

Benezia quickly tapped at her arm terminal as she smiled, then turned to her bondmate and whispered, "He got the same information I did about the quarterly run. He's making his way through. I don't know if we'll make it in time, though."

"Why would he go there?" replied Milizkia

She shook her head, "I'm not sure. There's a reason, though." She looked at her mother and said, "Mom, there's a quarterly run at the portal, and it'll open in a week. We need to go now if we plan to make it in time. If we make it in time."

Liara nodded then said, "Let's move."

-/

**Ilos**

Liara's ship dropped down near the city of Ilos. She looked at Vilio then said, "Where is this opening?"

Vi looked out toward the planetary wall then pointed "There."

She nodded then waved her hand, "Move out." As they got closer, she saw two ships. She looked at the familiar one and said, "That's ours. He's here." As she got closer to the opening, she felt different like he was leaving. She shook her head, then began to run as she mumbled, "No, no. Don't go. Please." Liara ran as fast as she could, and as she reached the opening, she yelled, "Shepard!"

Shandri called after her "Liara, wait!"

Liara made her way through the cave and into a room of boulders and several armed men. She flicked her wrist and slammed them against the wall. "Where is he?"

The men grunted, then one spoke, "Where is who?"

"Shepard. I know he came through here."

He looked at the others then said, "Who the fuck is Shepard? The guy with the biotic clawed up face?" He ran his hand over his head as he said: "That guy was sick, yea?" He smiled as he looked at his comrades, and they nodded.

Liara pinched her brow markings "What?" She shook her head, "No..." she tapped at her arm terminal and pulled up a recent picture of him "This is the man I'm looking for."

The man shook his head "Nah, this guy was clean down to the brim, ya know."

She scrunched her face as she shook her head "No, I don't." She tapped at her arm terminal and pulled up an older pic of Shepard. "How about this one?"

He pointed at the screen, "Yea, yea, that's him but with a fucked up face." He thumbed his thumb at the middle boulder. "He went through with two asari." He tapped his neck, "Omega. Legit brand no shit there. Only given out by the Queen herself."

Liara looked directly at Mili and said: "When did she start that?"

She shrugged, "Who knows." She waved her hand at the boulder then continued, "Probably when this happened. Her way of keeping tabs on her crew."

Liara pulled at her lip as she thought then looked at the three men, "You said a biotic clawed up face?" She placed her hand on the left side of her fringe, then drug it to her cheek. "Five thin marks from here to here?"

The man nodded, "Yea, but more like gouged and burning red."

"Onikuma blood mountain. That gaping wound was sealed. He must have had it modified." She scrunched her eyes as her mind raced, then touched her chest and said, "How about his chest and back? Did you see that?"

He shook his head "No, I couldn't physically see, but his armor signified it." He looked at Liara then the others "What is this about?"

"He's my bondmate, and I'm looking for him." She pointed to the massive boulder, "You said he went through here. How does it open?"

He scratched his head as he replied, "I have no idea how exactly, but it's open by Kol or Serey. That's all I know." He glanced at Liara then the others. "We're not here to make trouble; we just run supplies for credits."

Liara nodded as she replied, "I know." She turned to them and said, "Would you like to make more credits? Be my inside men and inform me of what's going on and when."

The men looked at each other; then one said, "That's risky. We're not supposed to tell anyone about this. I mean..."

She slightly curled her lip as she grabbed three chits and placed several thousand credits on them, then handed it to them. "How's that? You give me inside information, and I'll pay you handsomely."

They smiled, and one said, "Wow, yea, I'm in."

"Good. Don't make yourself suspicious, just keep doing what you're doing and let me know of the next delivery or if anything changes." She pointed to Shandri, "Give your info to Shandri before you leave and we'll be in touch."

After the men were gone Liara turned to her crew and her three daughters that were there and said "Ladies, Gwyndolyn may have started this fiasco but I will finish it." She pointed to the center boulder "Your father went through there and we must figure out how to bring him home. Our journey begins now."


	10. Two Houses

Shepard Stories III

**Ch. 10 – Two Houses.**

**Armali, Thessia – T'Soni-Shepard Estate – 2310CE**

Gelia, one of Liara's estate commandos, walked into the room where Liara's body was resting on a slab at their onsite morgue. She looked her over as she secretly took a photo, then looked around at the weeping asari surrounding her then exited the room. She glanced behind her as she walked quickly to the closest empty room then watched the door as she tapped at her arm terminal. A royal blue asari appeared on her screen, and she didn't speak a word. Gelia took a breath then said, "We have a problem… Lady Liara is dead."

The asari closed her eyes briefly as she pinched her lips together "Are you certain? Can you confirm this?"

"Yes, I took a snapshot…" she said as she tapped at her arm terminal "…I'm sending the proof over now."

"She will NOT be pleased of your repeated failure. First Benezia and now Liara."

She lowered her head "Benezia was out of my control… She dismissed us, and Liara picked her own top crew from the ones that remained. Shandri is her right-hand asari—"

She rose her hand, "Excuses that are not wanted or cared for. Another child leading the lineage will not stand. Liara was suitable because of her knowledge and her mature mindset." She shook her head "Annabelle is nowhere near suitable for such a role, and others will dispute it."

Gelia nodded and replied, "I agree, but Liara's mother, Benezia was the eldest sister, and her line reigns regardless of the others."

She gave a quick smirk then said, "To some degree Gelia…to some degree. Liara was given a chance only because of her actions in the Reaper War. Her aggressive business ways have been phenomenal for the T'Soni's, and they have all reaped the rewards from it. Therefore they allowed her to pursue. You have to understand that there are asari ways, and then there are the higher ways of doing things. The T'Soni's aren't just any normal asari lineage on Armali. They have pull in Armali because it used to be their ruling ground. Why do you think they own most of the land there? They know more than any other asari in Armali, about Armali. The same goes for any other high ranking house that ruled in the ancient days. Some are like vultures circling their prey while others lurk in the shadows waiting for the opportunity to take it back. Even if they never do, they still have the ears of the republic and the council. You know Benezia may have taken over the house and "ruled" the lineage but don't think her sister or her aunt went without nothing. Their mother set them on a path to fulfill, and your failure will not go unnoticed."

"So what does this mean?" asked Gelia

"We shall see after Madame Elansy is awake." Replied the asari

Her eyes flashed as she swallowed hard "Wh…what? Did you say… Madame Elansy? I thought you were referring to Benezia's sister Pheoriya." She took a breath as she said, "Madame Elansy isn't dead? She hasn't been seen in…over two hundred years..."

She smirked, "Of course she isn't. There's a far greater plan at work here, and your failure will impact it, and she must be woken due to that. Be prepared to be visited and keep me informed if anything changes."

Her screen went black once her call disconnected. She ran her hand down her face as she took several breaths as she murmured, "Madame Elansy…"

-/

As the royal blue asari's screen went black, she turned to a few nearby commandos and said, "It is time to wake her. Call the necessary people and get them over to the bunker now." She rose her finger, "Medical, no family."

They nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

She walked to the master bedroom and grabbed a few articles of clothing then left for the bunker. She walked into a small onsite facility, down a few hallways and up to a closet door. The door slid open to a basic storage room with the back wall remaining empty. She touched a small panel on the back wall and softly said, "De'sha Raylet." A panel opened on the wall and revealed a biometric hand reader and retina reader. She placed her hand on the panel as she leaned into the scanner. Once approved, the door open and she made her way down a flight of stairs then over to a console. She tapped at the console until she saw the name Elansy T'Soni then pushed it for release. She stood there for a moment as she read the screen _Cryo stasis ending. Estimated time of stabilization one hour._ After reading the screen, she looked over at the wall of cryo pods, then walked over to the nearest medical table and hung up the articles of clothing, then sat and waited.

After an hour passed, De'sha looked over when she heard the door on the pod hiss then open. A light blue hand lifted as several doctors helped her out of her chamber. She grabbed ahold of the nearest hand as she pulled herself up. Her vision was slightly blurred as she saw several asari scurrying around her, then one said, "Your robe Madame."

She lifted her arms slightly as an asari slipped her robe on for her then helped her on to the nearby medical bed. She closed her eyes as they attempted to adjust to the brightness of the light then said, "Light adjustment to low." She squinted slightly as the lights lowered, then she said: "What year is it?"

De'sha stepped forward and bowed her head slightly before she spoke: "Madame, the year is 2310."

"What has happened? Why have I been awoken ahead of schedule?"

She cleared her throat, then said, "Madame, we have a problem."

"What is this problem? Did the Reapers win?"

"No ma'am, we won, but the matriarchs didn't do as they were told. They didn't provide the information that was needed in time. Thessia and many others suffered greatly at the time but have grown from it."

She grunted, "Typical. What else?"

"I received news from Gelia, our inside informant at the estate." She paused for a moment then continued, "Liara is dead, and the lineage is being passed to her daughter Annabelle."

She jerked her head toward the commando, "Liara? When did Benezia hand that over to her daughter, and for how long?" She looked around the room then said: "Where is my daughter Benezia?"

The asari looked down as she took a breath, "Madame, Benezia was killed in the Reaper War, and her daughter Liara took over for the past hundred and twenty-five years."

She cocked her head slightly as she stood slowly and said: "My daughter has been dead for a hundred and twenty-five years?" Her hand ignited blue as she quickly swiped it across her body, and biotically threw the asari across the room as she yelled: "How dare you NOT wake me for that!"

The asari gasped as she tried to get air back into her lungs. "I'm sorry, Madame, but Benezia was lost to us as she joined the enemy. You wouldn't have wanted to see the destruction the Reapers did to our world….our galaxy or to the people."

She scoffed, "She had a job to do as planned. If that plan failed, then why did she not leave or any of you get her out?"

She shook her head "She was compromised umm… indoctrinated by the Reapers. Once indoctrinated, there's no turning back, and they have you for good. There was no saving her."

Madame Elansy pinched her brow markings. "It has been foretold time and again that Benezia was the key. How can she be the key if she's dead?"

"Maybe it wasn't your daughter; that is the key, but Liara's." She paused then said, "Liara's second eldest is also named Benezia, and she is like no other asari. Extremely powerful…" she paused for a moment then smiled "She is a golden child."

A smile slowly crept across her face "Centuries have passed since one has risen and taken hold of her powers."

"Yes, ma'am." She tapped at her arm terminal and brought up the security feed at Alcazar, "Look here."

Her smile broadened as she watched her great-granddaughter tear through Alcazar, "Absolutely divine."

She nodded and showed her an older security video from Alcazar "Liara was one as well."

"Two back to back?" She paused then waved her over "Come here and show me the brief highlights of what has been." When she pulled away from the asari, she just smiled then said: "Tell me more about young Benezia."

She pointed to young Benezia. "She IS the key. She fought the ancient in beast form on blood mountain during the harvest and lived. She consumed his powers somehow and now has powers beyond anything I've ever seen. Beyond anything, the high priestess has ever seen, and everything she has done has been documented."

She nodded, "Excellent. So that theory has been proven, and what of the ancient?"

"Followed, and his dormant location has been documented. Pheoriya will update you on the matter."

"Wonderful. Did Liara visit with the high priestess after her discovery of young Benezia's powers?"

"Yes, but the high priestess sought her out. She even gave her access to the archives. Even the ones that are locked."

She scrunched her brow markings, "Who approved of this?"

"Pheoriya stood in your place as acting leader of the STAK. The ones that are awake approved as our plan needed to proceed. All clues were delivered when necessary, and Liara hasn't read anything in the archives that has motivated her to act on it."

She grunted softly then sucked her teeth "Nmm…and how is that plan working now that Liara is dead? Hmm? We needed her to find the portals!"

"We know where they are. Why not just uncover them ourselves?"

She slammed her hand down, "I know we know where they are as I have used them myself! Liara is the one that would have understood them. What we needed was a clear resolution of how they work; it was supposed to be her. We cannot go in there blind!" She took a breath then said, "Everything was given to them, and the opposite happened. My daughter was told about Saren; she told me she would never give in. I wasn't supposed to lose her."

"It was a risk we took."

"Liara was supposed to join the Andromeda initiative but instead decided to stay and work for the Alliance Military as a consultant…"

"They did say the future is never determined and what we do could change it. We've seen different versions…if this then that. If Liara would have left, then we wouldn't have won the war against the Reapers, and none of us would be here. She wouldn't have had young Benezia if she left, and she was obviously supposed to stay. There's always choices Madame, and the choices we make will guide us to our future, whether good or bad."

Madame Elansy looked away then said, "All very true. We have this information for a reason, and it's to help guide us in the right direction. If we don't use it accordingly, then what's the point?" She paused, then said, "What has my daughter done since I've been asleep?"

She tapped at her arm terminal and displayed contents on the video wall. "She has provided the necessary parties information to further our quest." She pointed at a tall, dark-haired male "This man here is Liara's son."

Madame Elansy brow markings quickly shot up "Excuse me?"

She cleared her throat, "Umm, it's complicated." She pulled up a picture of Shepard, Liara and Miranda "There's a love triangle, and there's several child—"

She rose her hand, "Stop." She pointed at Miranda, "I know her. Why do I know this raven-haired human?"

"Miranda Lawson ex-Cerberus."

Her nostrils flared "Ex-Cerberus and what of the Illusive man?"

"Dead Madame. All of Cerberus is presumed dead, and the group was dismantled."

"How unfortunate for him. We never did see eye to eye on matters but occasionally came together." She paused as her eyes came upon two young purple asari that looked familiar "Who are those young purple ones, and why do they look familiar?"

She tapped her finger at the wall as she said, "Ahh. These are Aria T'Loak's children."

She arched her brow marking as she chuckled softly "Aria T'Loak? There is NO such person. You mean Ir'naria T'Seius. The question is, why the hell are they on this family grid?"

She opened her mouth then closed it then said: "Again, ummm complicated family tree."

She scoffed, "The T'Soni family tree is NOT complicated." She waved her hand at the video wall "THIS is not MY family tree. This is some mosh pit of shit." She jammed her finger on the wall as she hissed, "What the fuck is a T'Soni-Shepard?"

She looked down, then cautiously replied, "Umm, Liara hyphenated her last name to T'Soni-Shepard."

Her eyes widen as she said, "Our name has been watered down with a human's?"

"Yes, ma'am, and that is not all."

Her eyes fluttered as she let out a breath, "What else?"

"Milizkia T'Seius and Benezia T'Soni-Shepard have been bonded."

She curled her lip and snarled, "Just over a century old and with a T'Seius! Our greatest rivals and she bonds to one. My daughter would have never approved of this!"

"Yes, but she is gone, and it was Liara's decision."

She turned to her as she said: "Where are the T'Seius and the other STAK members?"

"There has been no word on most of The STAK as not every house followed the recommended cryo time. The ones that are missing I'm assuming they still slumber. Which includes the T'Seius's."

She arched her brow markings as she laughed "Sanilliax lost her seat to Aria?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She smiled, "And what of Aria?"

"She refused it and gave it to her daughter Milizkia. She gave EVERYTHING to Milizkia."

"Milizkia? Young Benezia's bondmate?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She gave out a hardy laugh, "Ooooh, Sanilliax, I've waited for the day that you would slip up, and I can't take it." She continued to laugh then said, "This is too good. Serrice in the grasp of a T'Soni and by a young golden one at that."

She nodded as she pulled up more information on the video wall. "Yes, young Benezia is like her mother and her grandmother. She's very smart, charismatic, strong, and mature for her age, just to name a few. Her and her bondmate have extensively grown the T'Seius businesses with the help of Liara. Being that they're bonded the T'Soni's own half of everything."

She nodded as she stared at the picture of young Benezia. "It's almost uncanny how much she looks like my daughter. If you didn't tell me this was someone else, then I would have assumed it was her in her younger years."

"Most think the same, Madame" replied De'sha

She pinched her brow markings as she looked off to the side and thought about her daughter, then looked back at the photo on the wall and said: "What is their relationship like?"

The asari smirked as she tapped at Milizkia. "This one is territorial of young Benezia and deeply in love with her. This match is not going anywhere any time soon from what my sources have told me. They've heard the term internally linked."

Madame Elansy's eyes flashed "Internally linked? That means Milizkia is a golden child as well, and her powers are also activated." She ran her hand over her mouth then said, "They have bonded internally and are forever linked…such a rarity." She smiled then said, "This is a solid bonding, and their children could be something that the asari haven't seen in several millennia. Problematic if the other T'Seius's find out but also good for us." She gave out a small chuckle as she smiled then said, "Let's find out what exactly is going on with the missing houses, whether they are truly dead or if they are sleeping. If they're sleeping, then let's take advantage of that."

She nodded, "Yes, ma'am, and I will inform Pheoriya."

As the asari turned to walk away, Elansy held up her hand and said, "One more thing. What of the Arks and the Nexus? Did they launch on time?"

She turned as she replied, "Yes, ma'am, and their arrival should be around 2818 if no issues arise."

"Excellent. I'm assuming adjustments were made where need be?"

"Yes, ma'am. Your sister Cena T'Soni and one of her daughters took the opportunity to leave and are part of the Andromeda Initiative. Please rest, and once you get situated, I'll contact Pheoriya so you can discuss matters further. One matter is that we cannot have an unsuitable member ruling a lineage and ruining everything you stand for and have accomplished."

She gave a soft grunt "Nmm very true. I believe it is time that my great-grandchildren learn of the rest of us."

-/

Two weeks later

Pheoriya, Elansy, and several of their commandos arrive at the T'Soni-Shepard Estate. An estate commando immediately hails their shuttle. "We are currently not accepting visitors of any kind. Please make an appointment and come back at an allotted time. Failure to comply, and we will fire upon you."

An elder light blue asari immediately appeared on their screen, and her booming disgruntled voice came back over the com. "We hear your hail, but this is MY family estate as I am Madame Elansy T'Soni. How dare you talk to me in such a manner."

The asari immediately looked down and quickly replied, "I apologize for my rudeness, Madame, and I was unaware of who you were at the moment. Please land at the closest launch pad."

Madame Elansy exited their shuttle and summoned the closest estate asari "Call upon whoever is currently in charge and have them promptly meet me in the foyer."

The estate asari bowed slightly then spoke: "I'm sorry, Madame, but Lady Liara is currently not here."

Madame Elansy chuckled then plainly responded, "Of course she's not here, she's dead."

She quickly shook her head "No, ma'am Lady Liara is alive but currently handling a private matter off-planet. We expect her back in a few weeks' time."

She immediately pinched her brow markings as she turned her head slightly and looked at her daughter, then her commando, who relayed the previous information to her. "Hmmm, I was informed otherwise."

The estate commando tapped her leg as she cleared her throat "Oh ummm well… she was…then ummm wasn't...umm I mean… you should contact Lady Liara directly about what occurred."

Madame Elansy narrowed her eyes. "You will tell me what happened, and if I feel that it is necessary to contact her, then I will."

She closed her eyes briefly then replied: "I would like to, but Lady Liara has given specific instructions on the matter."

She arched her brow marking, "Is that so. Do you know who I am?" She waved her hand between herself and her daughter and said: "Who we are?"

She swallowed hard, then replied, "Yes, ma'am."

She nodded, and her voice was calm at first, then harsh, "Good. Then you understand why I want to know what the fuck is going on here! How is she dead then not dead? Hmm?"

The asari shook her head, "Lady Liara will have my head, Madame."

Pheoriya smirked as she waved her hand at her mother, "My mother will take yours right now if you do not provide her with what she wants to know."

The asari took a ragged breath as she blinked rapidly "The Liara that died was a clone, and the real one was under sedation as there was news of a possible raid."

Pheoriya gave a small chuckle. "There's no person in their right mind that can confuse a blank slate with Liara. Impossible. So, try again, but the truth this time."

She shook her head "That is the truth. Her daughter Gwyndolyn has perfected it, and she knows how to…. upload ummm our minds into these clones. We all thought it was the true Liara, but it wasn't."

There were no words at first just silence as they looked at each other, then Elansy smiled broadly. "So, the process has finally been proven and by a T'Soni. Who all knows about this?"

"Just the ones in the estate and the estate family members, of course." Replied the commando.

She looked at her daughter and softly said: "Checkmate on the other houses and no more leapfrogging through time."

When her mother turned, Pheoriya grit her teeth then rolled her eyes as she mouthed "Wonderful."

Madame Elansy and Pheoriya walked back to their shuttle and left.

The estate commando took a breath as she tapped at her arm terminal and muttered, "Shit…" She fidgeted with her pants until she saw Liara appear then said: "Mistress, we had some interesting company."

Liara arched a brow "What company was this? I told you I wanted no one at the house."

"I know, but your grandmother and your aunt arrived."

She pinched her brow markings then said, "My grandmother is dead, and my aunt and great aunt were never around. Nor did they care to be a part of my life. Why would they show up now?"

She shook her head, "No, ma'am. Madame Elansy is not dead, and she was just here. Scary as ever."

She rubbed her hand over her lips, then said, "Thank you for letting me know. Inform me if they return." She rose her finger as she said, "Oh, wait. Did you mention what happened?"

The estate commando opened her mouth, then closed it then said, "I had no choice, mistress. I told them what happened with you and the clone."

Liara closed her eyes as she shook her head "You didn't. Please tell me you didn't?"

"I'm sorry, mistress. She would have taken the information from me, regardless if I told her willingly or not."

"True. That is all."

She nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

As her screen went black, she turned to Shandri and said, "Their arrival means they were informed of my death, and that means they have informants in my crew. Hmm, let me guess, Gelia?"

"She was part of your mother's top crew and also personally pick by your grandmother herself. I never really cared for her. Very high possibility that it's her."

She nodded, "And exactly why I didn't choose her to be on my top crew. I suspected she could be an informant for my aunt as I knew she would want to keep an eye on me." She began to chew on her lip as she thought then said, "They came to take over is what. I never thought about it, but they would have never allowed my children to take over at their age. Everything would have been handed over to Pheoriya." She paused for a moment then continued, "Shay, this is going to be a problem. They're going to want this tech, and I will never get rid of them or her." She paused, "Do you know why my mother was the way she was?"

Shandri nodded, "Yes, I do. It was because of your grandmother. Your grandmother is demanding and your mother was always trying to meet and live up to her expectations."

"That is true. See, my mother told me that we T'Soni's have a part to play in this world. She wanted me to do as my grandmother wanted, but I refused. It was always her way or no way. So I left to fulfill my own dreams. My grandmother lives mostly by the old rules, and I know she is part of an asari secret society that has been around for goddess knows how long. I still have yet to find out what it is. Whatever it is, it's above the matriarch high council. I know the other T'Soni's never came knocking down my door because I've filled their pockets with credits, and that's kept them away." She pulled at her lip "She must have been in cryo and was awoken the moment they found out I was dead." She stared off into the corner for a long moment then said, "There's something else going on here. There has to be more than me just dying for them to wake my grandmother. I mean, my aunt could have handled the situation herself." She let out a long breath, "Have Gelia brought to me, now."

Shandri nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Liara sat at her desk as she thought about what she wanted to ask then looked up when Gelia was brought through her door. "Gelia, it has come to my attention that you are an informant for my aunt and my grandmother."

She swallowed hard then said, "Lady Liara, that is true, but I only tell them basic information, and I swear to you that nothing vital was ever told. You dying was something they had to know."

Liara nodded as she steepled her fingers, "Understandable. How about this…tell me what you know."

She let out a breath as she fidgeted slightly. "According to your mother, your grandmother and your aunt are leaders in an asari secret society called The Society of the All Knowing or The STAK. Benezia took over the lineage, Pheoriya had placement in the STAK, and well, your great aunt Cena was left with very little ground until the Andromeda Initiative." She ran the back of her hand up her chin then said, "Your mother never really wanted to "help" Saren, but she went at your grandmother's request. Most of what happened back then was at your grandmother's request."

Liara scrunched her brow markings as she gently shook her head. "My mother died, and she didn't even really want to be there."

"Your mother was part of something bigger. The T'Soni's knew how important Shepard was for the war, and they helped fund his rebirth. They also helped fund the Andromeda Intuitive. Your family has more money than you realize. What you inherited was only a small portion, and even that was large." She took a breath then said, "My contact is one of your grandmother's commandos, and she said something interesting when I spoke to her recently. She said the T'Soni's know more about Armali than any other Armalian because they used to rule it and why they own most of it. All of the higher houses are similar."

Liara scrunched her brow markings then said, "Interesting. Is there any documentation on this somewhere?"

"As you know, the most important information is locked away in the asari archives. BUT the estate has two other underground facilities on different areas on the estate. One is known, and the other was added by your mother, and anything of value or importance to her was held there, and your mother visited it often. After your mother passed and before you came around, your aunt came by searching, and I didn't tell her of it. She did remove anything and everything from the known facility, though."

She smiled as she nodded, "Show me the moment we return. You may go."

-/

Serrice, Thessia – T'Seius Estate - 2311CE

Several drones flew the grounds of the estate as they scanned section by section until one stopped and began to beep. The tech watching the many screens in his mobile office smiled, then turned to the supervisor and said: "It's been found."

"Excellent. Get a ground visual and send it to me. She will want it. Once that is complete, then find me the entrance."

He nodded, "Yes, sir."

The supervisor turned as he tapped at his arm terminal then waited until a purple asari appeared on his screen, "Ms. T'Seius, the underground facility has been found."

She nodded, "Fantastic and the entrance?"

"In the process of being located."

"Good. I'll be there as soon as I can." She said, then her screen went black.

Benezia walked up to her lover, "What's going on?"

She grunted, "nMm your mother informed me that the other T'Seius could possibly be in cryo somewhere. So, I had the T'Seuis family estate checked then scanned for undocumented bunkers. A crew just found something." She paused then said, "I have a strange feeling about this."

She ran her hands up her back "What kind of feeling?"

"I don't know, babe. Just a feeling. Maybe you should come with me and your mom."

She gave a soft grunt, "Nmmph, you know mom is busy with Nefrane, but maybe she'll come up for a breather. I'll ask her."

—/

Milizkia, Benezia, and Liara stepped off the ship and walked toward the supervisor. He spoke, "Ms. T'Seius," he extended his hand, and she clasped her hand to his "Nice to see you again. If you would follow me."

"Did you find an entrance?

"We did but ran into a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"High security..." He said as he pointed down the stairs, "I'll stay here."

Milizkia walked down the stairs and looked at the door and the panel to the side. She looked back at her lover, and Liara then said: "Reminds me of the security at the Facility."

Liara waved her on as she said: "Proceed."

The moment she arrived, she heard a digital voice, "Identification Please."

"Milizkia T'Seius."

"T'Seius surname recognized but no Milizkia on file. Please place your hand on the wall." Mili hesitatingly placed her hand on the panel, and she jerked away when she felt it prick her finger. "Oww..."

Benezia quickly looked over at her as she said, "Are you ok?"

Mili sucked away the blood, "Yea, it pricked my finger."

Liara looked at the panel then at Milizkia. "Hmm... It's doing a DNA verification."

"T'Seius DNA verification complete." It said as the doors opened, "Access granted."

They walked down another set of stairs and came to another door with a panel, "Identification, please!"

Mil huffed "Milizkia T'Seius. She watched the panel analyze her voice; then, it said, "Access Granted. Welcome."

"Holy shit!" She said as she looked around at the facility and saw several cryo pods.

Liara spoke, "The T'Seius's definitely weren't killed in the war they went into cryostasis. This is an underground bunker, and even if Thessia was destroyed, they have everything they need down here to survive for several decades."

Mili mumbled, "Cowards..."

Liara glanced at Mili when she heard her mumble "Maybe so, but if more had the luxury to hide like this, then more would have survived. Also, the reason why houses do what they do to survive is because, in their mind, high lineage asari are the only ones that matter, and the rest are expendable." She looked down and away as a tear began to trickle down her face, then said: "If I would have known this was such a thing, then I could have saved more."

Benezia gently placed her hand on her shoulder as she spoke, "Mother, you all did everything you could during the war. You gave more than most, and we're standing here because of it."

She wiped her tears away as she took a breath then replied, "So much death and destruction in those years that I hoped to never see anything like that again, but I know deep down that is untrue. We asari live too long to go untouched from multiple wars, battles, rebellions, and now possible threats from other galaxies."

"Maybe so, mother, but we have each other." Replied Benezia

Liara nodded as she smiled, "Very true."

"How many more houses do you think did the same?" Said Benezia

Liara looked toward the pods as she replied, "I would say probably all the houses that are presumed dead. The first warning of an attack and they would have gone straight to their bunker."

Mil walked by one of the pods, then stopped and read the metal tag "Sanilliax T'Seius. My grandmother..."

Benezia walked by several others and counted, "I see seven other T'Seius's."

Liara walked down another row as she counted then said, "I count thirty other pods here. These must be their commandos."

"Should I wake them?" asked Milizkia

Liara walked up to the main computer panel and tapped at a few buttons "Ugh, it says here that their auto release is in the next century. They planned for the worse and figured the planet would be better after two centuries, and they are due to release in the next seventy years."

Milizkia hit the release button. "Well, it's time for their cowardly asses to wake up!"

Liara grabbed for her hand, "Mil, wait!" She sighed when she hit the button

Benezia looked at her mother as she said: "What did she just do?"

"Probably wreaked havoc..." replied Liara

They watched as cryo pod after cryo pod turned from green to yellow "Initializing wake sequence..."

After an hour of waiting Sanilliax and several others rose from their pods. She looked around and saw several unfamiliar asari standing before her "Who are you all and what the hell are you doing in my bunker?"

"I am Lady T'Seius, and this is my property," replied Mili

The elder asari laughed, "Nonsense, my daughter Zenedra is Lady T'Seius!" She said as she stepped out of her cryo pod. "Now explain yourself to me!"

"I am Lady Milizkia T'Seius. I've been head of this house for several decades!"

Sanilliax looked her over then looked over at the rest of her family then back at her with wide eyes as she scoffed "That is ludicrous! All the T'Seius are here!"

Liara took a small step forward then said: "Not all the T'Seius's."

She gasped, "Noo..." then took a step back at the resemblance of the young purple asari "You're Ir'naria's daughter?"

She smiled as she said, "Yes, I am. One of many."

Her grandmother blinked rapidly then before she could speak another did "She was cast out centuries ago! You have no claim on this house!" Zenedra, the next eldest, said, "This right is MINE!"

Liara looked them over then said calmly. "Actually, in legality purposes, you are all dead, and when it went unclaimed after the war, someone from the archives reached out to Aria. Being that she is the eldest daughter, the right was hers. She's took ownership for a short period of time, and when she knew Milizkia was ready, she passed it to her. She has access to all the money, assets, businesses, etc. Now it also states in asari customs that if the house is not handed down from mother to daughter or heir that after two decades of unclaimed status that anyone within the bloodline can claim the house. So, even if Aria didn't claim it, then Mili still has all rights. All the paperwork was filed, and the status was transferred to her. Now from my extensive research and understanding, Aria is the rightful Lady as she is of sound and mind... she did not refuse it because you never asked her. You never filed the paperwork saying she refused it. All you did was tell Zenedra here that she could have it. You're still figuring everything will pass to her when you die, but you know that's not how it works."

"Bullshit!" Said Zenedra

Her mother shook her head "No, she is right... that's why they make you wait twenty years before claiming to make sure there's no other rightful heir, but in all technicality, everything gets handed to Aria."

"If you would have asked her centuries ago, she would have agreed to dismiss it because she wanted nothing to do with you all. When she had Mili after the war with a Shepard, she knew there could be a possibility that one day her daughter may ask or find out about you all. When that day arrived, and someone came knocking, she took it." Replied Liara

Zenedra curled her lip, then turned toward her mother and said, "Mother, I am the next rightful heir to this house! You already said so! My children are the next in line!" Zenedra hissed as her two daughters stood behind her, and the others gathered. She let out a breath then said: "You told me you handled this, and you lie to my face."

Sanilliax walked toward Mili, then whipped her head toward her daughter and yelled: "Shut your mouth, or I will shut it for you!" She looked at Mili, "You are a child barely over a century." She glanced down at her bonding bracelet then scoffed, "Bonded! At such a young age. What has your mother taught you?" She looked over at Benezia. "This is your bondmate, I assume?" She looked at Liara then back at Milizkia and said, "Who are these blue asari? Hmm?"

Mili smiled. "Yes, this is my bondmate, and these blue asari are of house T'Soni."

She gasped and took a step back, "T'Soni's! That pairing is forbidden!"

Liara scrunched her brow markings at her then said, "That is an ancient rule that no longer applies! Besides, there's no undoing it because these two are a linked pair."

Her eyes flashed "A linked pair? It... can not be..."

Zenedra stocked forward. "Enough of this shit. I'll kill this disgrace and be done with this!" She yelled and blazed her aura

Sanilliax rose her hand as she snapped, "Nedra, don't!"

Zenedra ignored her mother and immediately released her biotics at Milizkia, and Mili blocked them easily as she laughed, "Is this a joke?"

Zenedra growled in anger, and her daughters and the rest blazed their aura.

Milizkia looked over at her bondmate, and a smile crept across Benezia's face as they both instantly blazed their aura. Benezia cracked her whip at them, and Milizkia formed a purple whirling circle of some kind in front of them as Liara blazed her aura as well.

Sanilliax grabbed her daughter's arm. "Nedra, stop! All of you! She is a golden child. They both are... all three of them are, and they can kill us all very easily."

Zenedra smirked, "Golden children. What nonsense!"

Her mother squeezed her arm as she snarled, "Shut up."

Mili chuckled then said, "It doesn't matter who or what. I want all of you off my property."

Sanilliax huffed, "So you will throw all of us out. We have nothing as you took my family's fortune!"

She cocked her head as she replied, "Did you think of that when you threw my mother away? She scavenged the streets for years and then finally built her own empire."

"Is that what she told you?" replied her grandmother

"I know the story, grandmother! Don't try to deter me. I've seen it! She didn't want to be your puppet—"

She quickly replied, "And she left! I did not throw her out! Young lady, you were miss informed."

"Then why did you disown her? Why cast her name off the list? You also chose to not help her!" replied Mili

She huffed in disgust then said, "Your mother was a whore. My name will NOT be associated with such disgust!"

"My mother did what she had to, to get away from you! Now she is—"

"I know who she is! Aria T'Loak!"

"That's right, the Queen of Omega! She ran into the darkness to fight the Reapers why you all cowardly went into cryostasis." She pointed to Liara, "Lady Liara ran toward the darkness and fought the Reapers with her bondmate Commander Shepard. The whole galaxy bounded together and fought the Reapers while you all hid, while millions died! You stand there and talk of disgust!" She scoffed as she waved her hand at them all. "You all are disgusting, cowardly, and I hate that I carry your name! Talk about a disgrace! You all are disgraceful." She shook her head "All these years I wished that I knew my mother's family... well now I know. Fucking cowards…all of you."

Benezia held her hand. "It doesn't matter... we know who you are. We know Aria, and what's she's done for the galaxy and for our family. You are not them."

Mili let out a breath as she looked down, "I know..." she stood there for a moment then looked over at Liara then back at the T'Seius's "I'm nothing like you all, closeminded and hateful. This is what I will do. I will take all monies before all my profit began and split it into three…" She paused then looked over at her grandmother then continued, "…that's how many children you had, is it not?"

"Including Aria, yes, I have three children." Replied Sanilliax

"Ok, I'll split it into four equal parts. Your two children, my mothers, will go to me and your cut. The business and everything will stay in my name as they are all partnered with the T'Soni's. Your children and grandchildren are always be welcome to work there. As for myself, my sisters and my children will have the rights to them. Same goes for the house."

They all curled their lip at her. Then Lysia, Sanialliax granddaughter, snarled, "This is horse shit!" She blazed her aura then looked at Mili then Benezia.

Mili slowly smiled at her, then waved her on "I dare you... "

Liara shook her head, then quickly put her hand out as she said, "Please don't! You are no match for them, none of you are. Don't give my daughter a reason because she will kill you all." She pointed to Benezia blazed, and smiling. "Look at her, she itching for you to do it. Don't!"

As Liara spoke, one of the T'Seius's commandos walked up and instantly lashed out at Milizkia and Benezia. Benezia repelled the attacked as she glanced over at her bondmate (Me first, watch this!) Benezia flicked her wrist at the commando and violently pulled her to her. Her hand wrapped around her neck as she took hold over her firmly, and the asari screamed before her as dark black streaks trickled through her neck then throughout her body. The commando's body trembled as she screamed, and her dark blue scales began to fade. As her scales faded, the dark streaks throughout her body split into large cracks. The cracks spilt into what looked like the surface of a thirsty desert aching for water. She smiled when the asari let out her last breath, then she released her hand and let her body fall to the ground.

Milizkia gave her bondmate a look of satisfaction as she smiled (Oooh, that's new.)

When the commando fell to the ground, the others took a step back, but another commando quickly lashed out at Benezia, and she instantly blocked her. Benezia laughed at the commando, then said, "How cute." She looked over at her bondmate (You like that last move? I call it desert pain. Show me what you got my love.)

Milizkia took a deep breath as she closed her eyes at her lover's words. (Command me, my love.)

She softly bit her lip as she looked at her lover (Nmmm I commando you, my love. Your power turns me the fuck on. I find it extremely sexy.)

(Hmm, what to do… what to do... oh I know... wait until you see this.) She quickly formed an aura circle around the commando; the commando screamed in pain as Mil hands pushed together, and the bubble around the commando shrunk more and more. Mil smiled and slammed her hands together, and the asari stopped screaming as her squished form fell to the floor.

Benezia smiled (Oooo Ooo Lovely... a painful squeeze.)

They both looked at each other and gave a quick laugh then laughed harder when several of the commandos lashed at them, and they blocked them all easily. Benezia looked at her mother (Mother, would you care to try?)

Liara smiled slightly (You two are just playing with them.)

Benezia smiled broadly as she chuckled (Heh yes... they are no match for us just as you told them and yet they continued.)

(Yes, but no need to make an enemy of them.) replied her mother.

Liara took a deep breath as she watched the T'Seius, and their commandos continue to make repeated attempts at them. Benezia and Milizkia stood there in boredom as they flicked their wrist to repel each repeated attack as if they were plainly swiping through their arm terminal. She closed her eyes as she shook her head at their stubbornness. Liara's blazed her dark blue aura and sent a massive blast toward the T'Seius's to only knock them all back as she yelled, "Enough! You foolish idiots! How long must this continue before you realize that you are no match for them?" She looked at them all lying on their back, then Sanilliax stood slowly and said: "My thoughts exactly."

Liara looked at Sanilliax then she said, "We do NOT need a war between houses or a war between T'Seius's. We will figure something out." She looked at Mili, "Right?"

Mili looked at her bondmate who just gave her a quick brow marking raise then looked back at Liara, "I suppose." She waved her hand at them "They can have the house. I don't want something just to fight over."

Sanilliax smiled as did the others, and Liara instantly said, "No!" (You must keep the main property in your name and don't ever hand it over to them. If you are Lady of the house, then you OWN the estate. If you give up the property and the estate, then you'll lose the "House title." They may live here but do not sign it over to them. Out of generosity, build them a home on another piece of property. There are also tons of homes we have purchased over the years from liquidations that you can give to them or rent to them.)

(Ahh ok, and this is why I love you!) She took a breath then said, "I've changed my mind. I have a large piece of property that I will kindly give to you all and even build you a home there." She pointed to Liara and her bondmate, "I will speak to my advisor and partners about possibly relinquishing some of the business's over to you all."

Sanilliax nodded, "Fair enough. I see you are not power-hungry."

"I am not my mother. I understand you all had plans, and those have not gone as planned. Unfortunately, my own money and Lady Liara's personal money is tied up in the T'Seius business's. Lady Liara has numerous businesses of her own that she handles, and I have my own business that I deal with. I will gladly hand you some of those back. We just need to figure out how to untangle our money from it as one feeds into another."

"I understand how tricky that can be. Thank you," replied her grandmother.

Liara spoke, "Until we get your property situated, I have several apartments, condos, and homes as does Mil and Benezia for you all to rent out."

Sanilliax scanned the room as she arched her brow marking then said, "Benezia T'Soni?"

Benezia turned toward her and said, "That's Dr. Benezia T'Soni-Shepard to you."

Zenedra laughed, "You hyphenated your name? Why would you ruin your name with a humans?"

Before Benezia could respond, Liara snarled, "You speak ill again of the Shepard name, and I will end you!"

Sanilliax waved her hand at Zenedra, "Shut up!" She looked toward Liara and said, "Where is your mother, Benezia? I must speak to her about this!"

"My mother has passed as has my father." Replied Liara

She sighed, "That is too bad Benezia was a good asari, and we were friends." She paused, then said, "And your grandmother?"

"Still alive…as are my aunts," replied Liara

She clenched her jaw as she flared her nostrils.

—/

As they headed outside, the T'Seius all squinted at the light. Zenedra glanced at her nearby commando then softly jerked her head toward Milizkia. The commando nodded, then swiftly walked up behind Mili and shoved her knife into the right-hand side of her back several times, and on the last stab, she twisted it to open the wound. Mili's knees buckled as screamed out in pain and reached at the knife that was now sticking out of back.

Benezia instantly grabbed her side when she felt a sharp pain then turned toward her bondmate when she screamed in pain. Her eyes flashed at her wounded bondmate kneeling on the ground then instantly at the nearby asari.

Liara closed her eyes as she shook her head, "Damn fools, she will kill you all..."

Benezia instantly flicked her hand at the asari and jerked her to her. She gazed into her eyes as her words came out hot "I am going to bring to life your most feared nightmare, your most feared way of dying, any pain you have ever experience and anything and everything that you are scared of. I'm going to let that cycle through your mind as it becomes a constant reality, and there will be no escaping it, ever." She jammed two fingers into the center of the asari's forehead as she continued to focus on her, then released her. The spot she touched on her forehead glowed red for a moment. The glowing marking turned into streaks and lingered for a moment then slivered down her fringes. The asari dropped to her knees as she began to shake as she whimpered, then her hands grabbed on to her head as she began to scream. She stopped then dropped to the ground, and her body arched as if electricity flowed through her body, and she screamed again.

Benezia turned, and her eyes flashed red when she looked toward the T'Seius then stopped when she walked toward her, bondmate, "Here, let me." She said as she removed the knife, then placed her hand on her wound and healed it.

Mil grunted as her wound healed then smiled as she looked at her bondmate. "Thank you, my love."

The T'Seius's looked at each other, then Zenedra mumbled "Goddess above!"

Sanilliax shook her head and scorned her daughter "What have you done?"

After Mili was healed, Benezia turned toward the T'Seuis to continue her wrath, but her lover grabbed her hand and softly said: "No, I can handle this." She laughed evilly as she stood then said, "You stupid fucks! My generosity wasn't enough. You had to stab me in the back, literally." She looked over at the commando screaming in pain then back at her family. "As a result to that, she will forever endure the state that my bondmate placed her in. What you do with her is your choice. Free her from her pain or let her continue to live it day in and day out." Her eyes scanned each member then continued, "I'm going to give you something far worse than the death you deserve right now. You will live your lives with NOTHING! Pull yourselves from the gutter as my mother did." She turned her back to them and waved her hand at her bondmate and Liara, "Let's go."

Sanilliax lifted her hand as she walked toward her "Please don't!"

Miilizkia stopped and snapped, "My generosity is gone!"

"I understand your anger as my child is angry with the outcome of all of this. Her actions will be dealt with, but we are family, and we should not be fighting."

She looked at her bondmate as she spoke to her, and Benezia slightly shook her head (You know damn well she's talking out of her ass. They're snakes in the grass, and they will attempt your death again.)

Mili grimaced then said (True, but if I don't try to resolve it, then it'll be twice as bad.)

(Maybe, but regardless you'll be looking over your shoulder constantly. I say give them nothing right now and let them grovel until we say otherwise.)

She smirked (You mean until you say otherwise.)

Benezia smiled then began to walk back to their ship (No, my love. It's your family, and it's your say on what you want to do with your family affairs, but if they attempt to kill you again, then I will kill them.)

Sanilliax stopped talking when she saw Benezia and Liara walking away; then she looked at Milizkia and said: "I am still speaking."

She chuckled softly then replied, "They don't give a damn, especially my bondmate." She looked back at her bondmate then at her grandmother "She has told me to handle my family affairs as I see fit." She took a deep breath then placed twenty-five thousand credits on a chit then handed it to her "Credits to get you started. As for the monies and the business offer, I'll think about it." She paused as she looked into her grandmother's eyes then said, "I will tell you this. If you or anyone else attempts to have me killed or harmed, then my bondmate will kill all of you without hesitation."

Her grandmother just looked at her for a moment then said: "Let us all take a step back and clear the air." She looked down at the chit then said, "This is a humble offer, and we appreciate it. I will have someone contact you later with our contact information."

She gave a quick smiled then said, "I'm sure you will. Good day grandmother."

Sanilliax watched her granddaughter walk away, then turned and walked back to her family. She walked directly to her daughter then slapped Zenedra across the face "What the fuck have you done? You've destroyed this house with your stupidity."

Zenedra scoffed. "I will not grovel at that youngling's feet. What she has should be mine."

"Maybe so, but what are we with no money, no businesses, and no assets! She's not going to give you what you want now."

She cringed, "I'm sorry!"

She slapped her again, "Oh, you WILL fix it or so help me. I will kill you myself." She looked down at the chit then said, "Unlike her mother, she has a good heart. She gave us twenty-five thousand credits and is thinking about the offer, and Nedra, you will follow up on it." She looked toward the ships then back and said, "Tread carefully and don't do anything stupid as our lives depend on it. You all saw what they could do. Especially Benezia, and she won't hesitate to kill us."

Zenedra looked at her mother. "So, now what? I'm sure this all wasn't part of the plan."

"No, it wasn't but something we must all deal with." She looked over at her granddaughter Lysa. "Lysa, we need communications up and running immediately. I have calls to make."

She nodded, "Yes, ma'am." She walked down into the bunker and quickly tapped at the computer console then brought up a communication panel. "Grandmother, it's up."

Sanilliax tapped at the console and waited until an older light blue asari appeared, "Elansy…"

Elansy smiled, then replied, "Sanilliax, welcome back."

She narrowed her eyes "You sent her to find us?"

"I thought it was time you were awoken. You have missed a great deal of time. So much has passed that you have even given away your seat. Also, within that time, we T'Soni's acquired half of everything you used to own."

She curled her lip, "You are no longer allowing us on the STAK? You need me and what we have."

She smirked, "You relinquished it when you didn't follow the guidelines provided, and I don't need you! What's needed is your family crystal, and from my understanding, Milizkia has taken everything of yours. I can choose to offer her a place on the STAK or remove you all permanently." She paused then smiled, "You see, my great-granddaughter is doing a fine job at persuading Milizkia, and with her, I will retrieve that crystal."

She narrowed her eyes, "You deceitful bitch! You know damn well, my daughter had a place on the committee. Serrice is OUR republic!"

"Not anymore, it's not. My young Benezia IS the key, and from what I've seen, the two of them will guide us to where we need to be. Your granddaughter is more T'Soni than she will ever be of a T'Seius."

"She is of MY blood, and we will convince her. You can NOT take what we own."

She smiled then said, "Goodluck with that, and we already have."

Zenedra looked at her mother when the screen faded to black and said: "What the fuck does that mean?"

"It means we're fucked, and our pull will begin to deteriorate." She leaned on the console as she closed her eyes and let out a breath "She's smart, and she's probably taken all the other houses businesses and land when they didn't awaken to claim them. The T'Soni's probably now own most of Thessia and her crystals."

"Why would she do that?" She pointed to the exit, "Do they know that?"

"Because I would have done the same. More land, more power, means more pull. Fuck!" She took a deep breath, "Our only salvation right now is Milizkia. She will keep this family afloat and in the running." She pointed her finger at Zenedra, "Do NOT piss her off or young Benezia." She paused then said, "At this point in time, we must keep our enemies close. Meaning the ones that were just here. I have a feeling they know nothing of Elansy's plans, and that could be a card we play." She turned toward her commando, "Uncover some transportation. I need to head to the temple."


	11. Xa'lorcean and an Elemental's Request

Shepard Stories III

**Ch. 11: Xa'lorcean and an Elemental's Request**

**Xa'lorcean - 2310CE**

As Shepard fully walked through the shimmering portal, his surroundings turned to a blur as his body moved faster than the speed of light through the galaxy. It felt as if his body was pulled through the back of his spine then released as he was catapulted through the universe, then suddenly, his body snapped back into place. He fell through the other side of the portal and rolled on the ground as he gasped for air. His lungs felt as if he was being held underwater, waiting to breathe but couldn't and holding on for that moment of air. He let out a long heave as he coughed, then took in a deep breath and coughed again. His eyes blinked rapidly as they struggled to adjust, and what felt like forever when they finally adjusted, then he focused on the dirt he was kneeling in then over at the cargo containers that he was leaning on. His eyes darted over at the sound of shoes crunching in the dirt then at a man chuckling. Shepard saw a few men in armor standing nearby, but the one speaking had strawberry red hair. He bent down to give him a hand as he said, "You did well. Most puke but not you."

Shepard's heart was beating fast as he turned on his side to get up, then took a few more breaths, then swallowed the lingering vomit he felt in his throat then said, "Who are you?"

"The name is Steve. Here let me help you up."

Shepard clamped on to his hand and pulled himself up as he said, "Jon."

After the man helped him up, he gave Shepard a quick pat on his should and said, "Welcome Jon." He glanced over at Shepard's friends groaning on the ground, "Are they going to be ok?"

Shepard turned toward his two friends on the ground as he said, "Probably." He walked over to them and knelt down as he said, "You two ok?"

Teyr laid there with her eyes closed as she let out a breath then grunted. "Nmmm give me a minute, and I'll be fine."

Kirre shook her head as her eyes pinched closed. "No… I feel like I'm about to barf everywhere, and the world is spinning." Her eyes opened for a moment; then she quickly pinched them closed "Yep, the world is definitely spinning." She grumbled then gagged shortly after.

Shepard pat Kirre's side. "Just breathe, and it'll pass."

Kirre shook her head as she moved further away and expelled the contents in her stomach. Shepard turned his head slightly as he wrinkled his nose, then said, "Ok, well, you can do that too."

When Teyr heard her friend puking, she immediately looked away as she brought her hand to her mouth and gagged. She began to take deep breaths, but it wasn't helping her at all. Her mouth was watery, and she could feel an acidic substance creeping further up her throat.

Shepard arched his brow at Teyr, then asked, "You're going to barf, aren't you?"

She leaned her head back as if it was going to help prevent her from puking. Her head was tilted so far back that her fringe touched the mid of her back. She swallowed hard as she scrunched her face at the slithering invasion in her throat then she quickly replied: "No, I'm good."

He pinched his mouth closed at her struggling not to puke then said, "Uh-huh." He laughed softly when she immediately lunged forward and vomited. When she was done, he reached in his side leg compartment and pulled out a small plastic rectangular container. He shook it, then popped the lid on it and said, "Tic tac?"

She immediately gave him the finger, and he laughed as he said, "Oh, you know you want one."

Steve chuckled then said, "Yea, puking is the norm. It'll probably happen again when you pass through it on your return if you return, but the more times you go through, then your body adjusts as it becomes accustomed to the….ugh…travel." He extended his hand toward Shepard with his palm up and said, "May I?"

Shepard looked at Steve, then his palm. "Oh, yea, of course." He said then jiggled his container until two tiny mints fell into his hand. Shepard looked beyond Steve at the sizable town then said, "You know I have to say I'm impressed at the size of this town I honestly expected it to be smaller and not so ...umm...productive."

"Me too. When I arrived four years ago, it was definitely smaller, but we keep recruiting people, and it continues to grow. The majority of the people that have arrived have stayed, and only a handful have returned."

Shepard nodded then said, "I bet your scientists are going nuts with this place, huh?"

He smirked, "Oh yea, they are in a frenzy to learn of all the new that's here."

He gave a quick smile as he said, "I knew of someone that would have had a field day here." He looked down briefly, then said, "So, what do we call this place?"

"Xa'lorcean." Steve said, then tossed the two mints in his mouth.

Shepard tilted his head as he replied, "Xa'lorcean, huh? Interesting name."

"It is, and most of us wonder why that name, but no one knows what it means or cares to ask. I'm sure some know what it means, but I sure don't," replied Steve.

Shepard turned when Kirre spoke, "What the hell kind of name is that? No lunged air. It doesn't even make any sense."

"Ah, so it's asari?" replied Steve, then crunched on his mints.

Teyr being the proud Armalian that she is rolled her eyes as she mumbled, "Ah, so it's asari? No, it's Armalian, you ignorant ass fuck. That's like us saying oh, it's human."

Shepard cleared his throat loudly as he snapped his fingers repeatedly through her mumbling mockery and insult then said, "Well, the actual name is nothing in itself but the cutting of and combination of words from a particular asari region...Armali, to be exact. Anyway, without going into extensive detail on asari language, it means No lunged air, but I'm guessing the founder meant not without a breath or don't breathe without."

He smirked as he nodded, "Ahh, makes sense then because it's hard to breathe outside the dome." He paused for a moment then said, "So, you're familiar with the asari language, huh?"

Shepard looked at his friends then back at Steve, "Yea, you could say that. I've been around them long enough to pick it up." He tapped at his arm terminal and said, "Translator not required."

He chuckled as he looked at the two asari then waggled his brows at Shepard, "Yea, I bet."

Shepard gave a quick laugh as he replied, "Yea..." he took a small breath, then said, "So, what now?" He waved his hand at the supplies then said, "Do we help with the supplies? Do we need to go check in somewhere? We weren't really briefed on what is what."

Steve gave a quick brow raise at the word briefed then looked him over as he said, "So, your ex-alliance, huh?" He paused suddenly when his eyes came upon the omega brand on Shepard's neck, "Ooo and Omega crew too, nice."

"It's been some time since I served in the alliance military." Shepard's cheek twitched slightly, then he continued, "Yea, we are all Omega crew."

Steve nodded as he replied, "Yea, we have a few ex-alliance military people here and some Omega. A nice mix of folks here, actually." He pointed to the cargo crates "No, need to worry about those. We have a crew that will take care of them." He looked up then waved his hand at the invisible enviro-dome that flickered occasionally. "Our growing town is currently encased in an enviro-dome, and if you walk outside of it, then make sure you have your gear on." He waved his hand down the length of Shepard's armored body, "Such as that, or you can purchase a micro breather at one of the local stores. Those can come in handy, and you might want to grab some just to have for an emergency."

"So, we can't maintain beyond the dome? What's the hazard level here?" asked Shepard

"We can, to some extent, but it's hard on the lungs. Too long without a breather and they can't withstand the harsh environment. The hazard zone varies depending on where you are on the planet. I would say a point zero-five level here to a one, but the further out you go, the harsher it gets depending on the area. Also, know that at certain times in the year, the environment gets worse, and we have sirens that go off on those days."

Shepard nodded, "How far out does the dome extend?"

"Well…" He turned then looked around for a moment then pointed, "You see that white pole there with all the gadgets on it?"

Shepard followed Steve's finger, then his eyes focused on the tall pole beyond the border of the town then said, "Yea."

"That is an enviro emitter. It sends out a signal to another pole, and when it makes a connection, then a barrier is made. There's a large one in the middle of our town that connects them all."

"Oh, ok. Gotcha. What if we venture beyond the town and get stuck. What happens then?"

"Well, you're in luck. We have depots throughout the area with enviro-domes." He tapped at his arm terminal then said, "Once you get one of these setup, then your localized map will show

you the safe zones with domes. If you can't find one, then the vehicles here all have protective domes." He rose a finger as he continued, "Now, if you feel like venturing out into the lands, please take caution of the wildlife. Lots of dangerous animals, plants, mercs, and locals. I'm talking acid-spitting animals, and that goo will eat through your kinetic barrier faster than a hungry fat kid with a candy bar. That shit is nasty, and you don't want to get hit with it more than twice. I highly recommend wearing full protective gear if you plan on going out, but that's me. There's too much unknown out there to be without it, in my opinion."

Shepard gave a small chuckle then said, "Ok. What else?"

Steve pointed to Shepard's arm terminal. "I see you're familiar with arm terminals. Unfortunately, our Milk Way network doesn't work here. You can get a new one in town with it already programmed with the new network." He leaned in closer as he covered the side of his mouth as he continued, "Or if you're tech-savvy, you can just connect what you have yourself to this network. It's fairly simple."

"Ok, anything else? How about credits? Same or different?"

He bobbed his head around "Meehh…yea for the most part." He quickly tapped at his arm terminal then pulled up an app "See this app? You need to get it. So, you pull in however much you want to convert to local currency, and it adjusts your current credits and also at a small fee. Same if you want to convert back if you're leaving. Oh, you also need to update your translator and have that bad boy on a constant update as they are adding new translations every day." He patted Shepard's shoulder as he continued, "Head over to the town center and get your housing, etc."

"Great. Thanks for the info." Shepard began to walk toward the town center, then turned and said, "Hey, do you know of anything interesting going on, on this planet?"

"Like how do you mean?" asked Steve.

"I don't know. We're adventurers." He pointed to Teyr and said, "Archeology background. You know that type of stuff."

"No, not really. We have crews that go out scouring the area to find food sources and whatnot. We have archeologists here if you wish to talk to them; just ask Nancy or whoever is manning the town center's help desk. There are several groups that have come in and ventured off on their own as you are free to do that."

"How many new species have you come in contact with?"

"Oh, I've personally only met a few of them, but there's one that's been a problem, but the others have not. The Bergrauian and the Shevi, for the most part, are the nice ones. Now the Noxrul not so much they like to feed on anything other than their own kind."

Shepard's brows jolted up "Feed? So they are a carnivorous predatorial species?"

Steve looked at Shepard dumbfounded for a moment as he shook his head "Well…ummm yea…I think."

Shepard grimaced then said, "A species that eats meat of another species."

"Oh, right yea like I said that, but they don't eat meat more like bloodsuckers. Our particular species is a damn delicacy to them, and they come around our town barrier at night lurking."

Shepard chuckled as he looked at his friends who were also laughing, "Bloodsuckers? Joke for the newcomers, huh?"

He shook his head, "No, no, I'm serious. They look as if they've been dwelling underground their entire lives. Grayish skin, the majority with white hair, and their eyes have a sheen or something on them. They can see in the dark, but the sun hurts their eyes, so they wear covers. He touched the sides of his neck then cheeks. "They have these slits in their skin here and here. We think they're vents, filters, or breathers maybe." He swirled his hand around as he continued, "It has to be how they're able to breathe in this harsh environment."

Shepard crossed his arms, "You're actually serious?"

"Yes."

"How do they feed?"

"Well, according to the scientists, not all are bad, but most of them are." He opened his left hand and pointed to his palm. "They paralyze with this hand." He swirled his finger around the palm of his hand as he continued, "It's a tiny biter or injector, and its prey becomes discombobulated or non-functional. The more of it that's injected, then the more helpless you become " He waved his hand at Shepard, then the asari "Even you three would be no match from that poison. When they have you, then there is usually no escaping. They'll feed on you and either deplete you or let you live."

Shepard's eyebrows instantly pinched at his description, then turned to his comrades and said, "Sound familiar?"

They nodded, then Kirre said, "Yes, whatever Anna came in contact with."

He grunted as he ran his hand over his chin "mmHmmm. They incapacitate their prey as they devour them." He turned to Steve then said, "What about the others?"

"Oh, umm. The Bergrauian are almost a gorilla type species but with smooth, vibrant feathers everywhere except around their facial features and front part of their body. They don't walk on their hands but upright just like you and I. Your first thought is a huge muscular man bouncing at a club but with vibrant colored feathers." He extended his arms as he curled them under "You know what I mean? Big brawny ass motherfuckers, and they would give the Krogan a run for their money."

"Yea, yea, I get it. Big apes with feathers. What about the other?"

"The Shevi? They are a lovely species, very elegant. I believe I've only seen the female ones now that I think about it. Anyway, you can't miss them. They are a lovely shade of coral." He waved his hand from the front of his head to the back as he spoke, "They have this...well, it's almost like a hat with a brim. It's a lovely beige or light tan color…" He quickly moved his fingers around as he continued, "…with speckles."

Shepard furrowed his forehead as he said, "A hat?"

"Well, it's not an actual hat; it's just part of the top part of their head. You know, and it flares out, but you see their actual head underneath. You know, like someone wearing a hat."

He arched his brow. "Ok, so apes with feathers, aliens with attached hats and gray pasties with white hair that suck blood. Got it, anything else?"

"No, I think that's about it." Replied Steve. He turned toward one of the armored men behind him when one said, "You forgot about the Rhinos and the Elementals."

Steve let out a groan as he turned toward Shepard as he said, "I did forget about those. They're fairly recent, and we don't know much about them."

"Rhinos and Elementals?

"Yea, Rhinos are a humanoid type. They are some sort of brown color with big ass noses and a two to three-inch horn coming out of it." He touched the bridge of his nose as he talked, "Then a smaller horn here and one above that. Some have horns above their brows as well or elsewhere. I think horn sizes and capacity depend on if they're male or female and age."

Shepard nodded and said, "And the Elementals?"

"Speak of the devil." Replied Steve as he jerked his head toward three Elementals walking down the dirt path toward a building. "You see those three over there with those random greyish ink splotches or lines on their face, neck, and arms?"

Shepard glanced over and saw the humans walking toward a building, "Those humans with the tattoos? What about them?"

"No, those aren't regular humans from our galaxy but Elementals. They arrived here on the planet recently within the last year, and I honestly think it's because they heard there were people in this galaxy that looked like them, but aren't them. Newer species arrive all the time, and they look around then leave. Only the few I've mentioned continue to return, and we've gotten to know about them, and we're learning their language."

Shepard nodded, "That's expected. Elementals huh? Why do you call them that?"

"Well, like I said, they look similar to us, but they have these markings throughout their body. These markings look similar to basic tattoos like you said but change to a color when they are going to discharge their powers. The color depends on what type of elemental they are."

"Meaning?"

"Ok, for example, static blue will shine throughout their tattoos when they're energizing within to shock you with electricity. Those would be the electrokinetic types. Then there are pyrokinetic, and their color is orange, and the cryokinetics are white. Those are the only ones we've seen so far. Oh, and supposedly there are different levels of them, but we don't know the extent of that because we're still learning."

"Got it."

Steve leaned into Shepard and said, "They take a liking to anyone with biotics. Some think they find it fascinating, especially human biotics. But what I've noticed is that they only really like to deal or speak with someone of quality."

"Meaning?"

"Well, umm, like someone of your nature." He waved his hand at him "You're biotic, so you qualify but a regular human no way they look at us in disgust." He pointed to Teyr and Kirre, "Now, asari oooo ho hooo, the word has spread about them. Most species that show up love them some asari."

"Huh. Interesting." Shepard stepped back when he noticed that the three Elementals were walking toward them. "What are they doing?"

"They have a beat on you. I would say because of the red bi...woah; I just realized your biotic flare is red. How?"

Shepard quickly replied, "Oh ugh, Omega black market mod."

"You can do that? Nice..."

Shepard noticed how one walked in front of the others, and he thought to himself _Hmm leader probably._ The leader had blonde hair, green eyes, roughly five-six, her skin was a milky white color, and her markings were different than the other two. Hers wasn't random or splotched as Steve described, but hers were clean thick black lines that looked carefully drawn on her face. A large V type shape that was on her forehead and the tip ran down to the mid of her nose. Two lines branched off each side of the V tip beyond her nostrils then straight down the side of her mouth. She was the only one that wore gloves. The other woman was about five-five with golden-brown hair, hazel brown eyes, and lightly bronzed skin. She had a few ink dabbles just to the left of her eye and three strips on the right side of her temple. Several large vertical streaks across the right side of her neck and more markings down her right arm. The male was roughly his height, his build, and his head was shaved just like his, but his hair color was a dirty blonde color. He had dark blue eyes, and his markings flared out around his right ear that trickled down his neck, and his other markings were down his left arm.

The leader stopped several feet from him and just stared at him for a good long moment, but she didn't make a move or speak during that time. When she was done, she turned to the other female and gave a slight head nod toward him.

A smile slowly formed on other female's face as she stepped toward Shepard. She bowed her head slightly as her hands touched her forehead briefly then spoke in a language Shepard had never heard before. Shepard looked at Steve then back at the Elemental as he shook his head and said, "I'm sorry. I have no idea what you just said." He jerked his head back when the elemental's hand slowly came up near the claw marking on his face. Her hand hovered back and forth along his markings as she continued to speak.

The elemental pulled her hand back and touched her own face near a tattoo marking and spoke, then reached out and gently put her hand near Shepard's and spoke. Shepard crunched his brows as he shook his head at the woman's words.

The elemental pulled away as she smiled then rose her hand, and her tattoos began to turn white, and you could see a slight frothiness coming off her hand as the bronziness of her skin turned slightly blue, and her fingers were now covered in a white frost. Shepard felt the coldness when she touched his chest plate as he looked down and saw ice crystals quickly spreading across it. "Holy shit, my chest plate is freezing." He said as he looked up then noticed her eyes were no longer hazel brown but icy blue glow.

She pulled her hand away, then gently ran her fingers up the bottom of his chin and watched as Shepard let out a puff of cold air. She gave a quick smile as she looked into his eyes for a moment, then turned to the man next to her and spoke.

The man nodded as he gave a slight shrugged, then turned to Shepard and gave a quick nod.

Shepard smirked and said, "Ok, I see what you're asking." He took a step back and cracked his neck, then blazed his hand, and the moment he did, the unexpected happened. His red aura blazed for a moment then faded to a blue. He extinguished it, then looked at his friends and said, "What the fuck?"

Steve grunted then said, "Guess that mod was a bust, huh? I'd be mad too."

Kirre and Teyr both pinched their brow markings, then Teyr said, "Your connection to..." she paused as she looked at Steve then back at Shepard. "Well, you know... must have kept it going, and with her gone, maybe it is as well."

Shepard grumbled, "Well, damn." He looked at the elementals, still waiting for him to do something but noticed that her broad smile faded when his red biotic turned blue. Shepard rolled his eyes, then said, "Ok, fine." He looked toward an empty spot and charged toward it then back toward the elemental. She smiled slightly, then turned to the milky white elemental and said something. The leader grunted slightly, then walked away.

The cryo elemental smiled at Shepard, then followed the leader. The male pointed at Kirre and Teyr as he smiled at them and said something then kissed his bunched up fingertips at them, then turned and walked away.

Shepard chuckled "Well, I think he's a fan."

Teyr smiled as she watched him walk away. "Me too."

Shepard smiled then walked out of earshot of Steve then said, "What do you think that meant?"

"I think she likes you and him us." Replied Teyr

"I got that part. I mean the disappointment in my aura changing. I think they thought I was something else or someone else."

"You mean like Benezia?"

He nodded, "Yes, there must be a species out there that has a red aura." He turned to Steve and said, "Did your translator pick up anything they said?"

He shook his head "No, our linguists are still learning, and they have yet to learn anything from them. I will say this though I've never seen them bow to any other biotic or species except you. They don't speak to just anyone and usually keep to themselves. Oh, and that one in the front, she was new. I'm not sure what that is."

Shepard rubbed his chin "Hmm. They don't speak to anyone, huh?" He turned to his friends and said, "They're observing, but why?"

Steve nodded, "Yea, you could say that."

Kirre replied, "Probably, but you would think any species would observe the new then report back."

"A smart one would." Replied Shepard.

-/

After Shepard was finished talking to Steve, they walked over to the town center, and he gave a quick smile at the older lady sitting behind a window at a desk and said, "Hello."

She looked up at him then down and then up with a weak smile then said, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, Steve gave us a quick run through but directed us here."

She nodded, "He such a nice young man and very informative." She tapped at the wall as she continued to speak. "Scroll through here and plug in what pertains to you while I help these asari behind you."

He looked at the imaging wall next to the window then at his friends then back at the lady behind the counter, "We're all together."

"Oh, ok." She glanced at him then at the asari and said, "Oh, pardon me, but I didn't notice the Omega markings." She cleared her throat as she tapped at the computer in front of her. When she was done, she looked back up and said, "Would you care to be with the other Omega crew?"

"We came as Omega, but we do our own bidding, and I will do as I please if you catch my drift."

She blinked a few times rapidly, then replied, "Of course." She placed her hand on the sidewall and said, "Well, in that case, the selection you make on the wall will give you options on where your living quarters will be if you need a job umm unless you already have one. So on and so forth. Once you're done, I can direct you from there."

Shepard looked over at the imaging wall as Kirre and Teyr scrolled through it then back at the lady behind the desk "This town is pretty impressive from what I can see so far. How is that possible with the limited amount of supplies that can fit through the portal."

She smiled. "Ahh, an inquirer, huh? Only a handful of people ponder that usually." She looked him over as she pinched her brows then said, "Usually not one such as yourself, but higher-end types ask such questions."

He nodded, "Understandable."

"Supplies also come from other places within this galaxy, but…" She tapped at the side panel on the wall as she said, "Ladies, the wall image is going to split if you would stop for a moment." When the screen split into two, it showed a small hand tool with two probes. "This magnificent tool is called a habitat builder and can build just about anything."

He pointed to the screen as he replied, "That small tool built this town?"

She nodded as she said, "For the most part, yes. It is a holographic 3D builder. You select the type of wall or structure, and it prints it with the appropriate materials. It actually printed this building."

Shepard placed his hand on the wall and knocked on it then pushed on it hard as he said, "Wow, that's a game-changer. So, it just prints the wall, and you have a crew do the rest?"

"Yes, exactly."

Shepard leaned toward the imaging wall and squinted his eyes when he noticed a familiar company logo. He pinched the tiny logo on the handle of the habitat builder and made it bigger

then said, "This is from GTS tech?"

"Yes, we have several known companies from the Milk Way that help build this town. GTS tech is one as is T'Soni Analytics."

Shepard jerked his head back, "Really?" He looked over at his friends as he said, "Interesting."

They both replied, "Yes, quite."

He slowly turned his head back to the lady behind the desk as he said, "Liara T'Soni-Shepard is an investor as well as her daughter, Gwyndolyn?"

She nodded as she smiled broadly "Yes, they are. They are actually some of our top contributors, and several other companies help as well." She tapped at her computer, then rose her finger. "Without their constant contribution, we wouldn't be where we are today."

Shepard pinched his brow as he clenched his fist at his side, then said, "Huh?" He then waved his hand around at the town then said, "They helped build all of this?"

She nodded, "Yes."

He tilted his head as he pinched one eye closed, then said, "Liara T'Soni?"

"Yes, have you ever met her? She is such a fabulous asari, and I just love her. You know she was just here last year and few times before that. I was so ecstatic when she came too."

Shepard blinked rapidly as he pointed his index finger to the ground as he replied, "Liara T'Soni was here?" He paused, then repeated her name, then flittered his fingers at his face as he said, "The asari with light blue scales, purple freckles, white speckles on her fringe, and blue eyes?" He waved his hands around as he continued, "Liara T'Soni from Armali, Liara T'Soni? Like the multi-go-zillionaire Liara T'Soni? THAT Liara T'Soni?"

The woman's eyes darted back and forth from Shepard to the asari as she scrunched her brows then said, "Ummmm, I see you have an issue with Liara T'Soni."

He crossed his arms as he huffed, then fumed, "YA THINK?" He took a breath to calm himself, then said, "Let's just say that we've crossed paths." He paused, then continued, "That woman is beyond busy. When did she come here?"

She quickly tapped at her computer then replied, "Hmm, let's see... It was the last week of June during a supply run. Why do you ask?"

He arched a brow as he quickly replied, "The end of June? That's impossible she was on a family trip."

She tilted her head slightly, then looked down at her calendar then said, "Well, maybe you're wrong, or these dates are wrong, but she was here. I saw her with my own two eyes as she came out of the portal."

He looked over at Kirre and Ty, who were slightly shaking their then he turned back to the lady behind the window. "How big was her crew?"

"Her crew? No crew, it was just her."

His eyes widen as he said, "Just her? That's even more interesting because that woman NEVER travels alone."

She just looked at Shepard for a moment then said, "You seem to know a lot about Liara T'Soni."

He waved his hand at his Omega neck brand. "That's my job. Aria pays me to know things and to provide information." He turned to his friends then said, "Did you two select something? I need to keep moving if you catch my drift."

They nodded, then Kirre said, "Yes, sir, we're good to go."

Shepard turned to the woman with a plain face and said, "I should go..." he looked at his friends and said, "Wrap this up."

Kirre looked at Teyr, then back at Shepard, and said, "Yes, sir."

The woman watched Shepard walk away, then said, "Is he ok?"

Kirre walked up to the window and replied, "He'll be fine. Our mis..." she cleared her throat "Umm... I mean, Liara T'Soni-Shepard used to be our employer, and our dismissal was hard on all of us."

"Ahh, I see."

Kirre nodded, "Yea…Well, we would like to get going. If you could direct us to our establishment, that would great."

The woman tapped at her computer then said, "Um, without your terminals currently set up, I can't send you your information." She turned and pointed to a data terminal, then an arm terminal. "If you would care to purchase one of these, then I can activate one and get you all set up. You can also use it to open your residence."

Kirre rolled her eyes as she grunted then said, "That's fine."

She grabbed a basic arm terminal then tapped at it then at her computer then handed it to her "Ok, you're good to go just follow the map on the screen."

Kirre nodded as she grabbed the arm terminal from her and said, "Thanks." she turned and walked toward Shepard that was standing several feet away. When they caught up to him, he said, "Something strange is going on here. Liara has never been here. Even if she did, she would have never come by herself, and I would have known about it."

"We were just as intrigued at that as well." Replied Kirre

"Someone in disguise then? A board member maybe?" said Teyr

Shepard curled his lip "I don't know, but it wasn't her. I know my wife, and if she got wind of being able to come here, she would have jumped all over it in a heartbeat. She would have had an entire crew here picking this place apart, and she would have made a permanent foothold here. I would have had to drag her back through that portal to come home."

Kirre and Teyr laughed, then Teyr replied, "That is true, and she would have been talking your ear off about it."

He pointed a finger at them as he replied, "Exactly. Cameron would have never invited Liara here with the tension of what's been going on since Miranda."

Kirre nodded then said, "True. I bet the upper-class types that live and work here want to maintain that sense of stability and probably asked for her to come by, especially if they've seen her as an investor."

"Makes sense, and they had someone parade around as her." He rubbed his chin "I can bet their archaeology team has wondered why she hasn't been more involved because that would be completely unlike her." He scratched his face as he walked then said, "I'm actually surprised something didn't come across her desk about it. She knows everyone, especially ones with credibility in the archeology world. You'd think they would have been contacting her about it."

"Yes, that is strange, and she's always receiving requests about some project, but not this." Replied Teyr

Shepard nodded as she gave a small grunt then said, "After we get settled in, let's swing by and chat with their arch team."

"What do you think is going on with the rest of it?"

"I'm not sure." He replied, then pointed his finger back toward where they just came and said, "There's no way in hell Gwyn would have given up something like that. The next phase in future development, and it's in another galaxy? No way." He stopped in his tracks when he saw a wall image of his wife standing next to her company logo. " _Hello, I am Liara T'Soni of T'Soni Analytics, and I want to welcome you to Xa'lorean, your home away from home_."

Shepard let out a loud huff then said, "Oh, you've got to be fucking shitting me! He killed her then made her the face of his fucking town? You fucking DICK!" He stormed by the imaging wall and mumbled, "That's NOT even her voice. Asshole…"

-/

**Local Bar – 2315 CE**

Shepard's body shivered when he felt a coldness at his back. He smiled slightly as he turned and saw the golden brown haired elemental walk passed him. She looked back as she continued to walk then smiled as she gave a quick head nod toward the hallway. Shepard looked over at his comrades as he took a long sip of his beer and laid his weapon on the bar, then said, "I'll be back in a bit."

Ty nodded as she said, "We'll be here."

Kirre looked at him then over at the frost woman and glared at her as Shepard walked off. She grunted then scoffed "I can't believe he's banging that woman continuously. If Liara was alive—"

Teyr quickly replied, "Well, she isn't. It's been years, and it's only fair for him to move on."

"Yea, well… I suppose, but it just doesn't feel right." Said Kirre

When Shepard reached the dark hallway, the elemental pulled him to her and kissed him deeply. When she pulled away, she looked into his eyes while she caressed his cheek then gently spoke.

He smiled then said, "I still have no idea what you say to me, but I feel you are being sincere."

She smiled then bit her lip as she tugged at his shirt as she moved toward the closest door. Shepard smiled as he followed her into the closet, and as the door closed, she immediately began to pull his shirt off. She kissed his chest, then blew a shimmer of frost on it, then slowly ran her tongue over it.

He chuckled as his body shivered then he said, "That gets me every time."

She giggled at him laughing then began to remove the lower part of her clothing quickly. Shepard stood back slightly and watched as she removed her shoes, then her pants, and lastly, her underwear. She leaned against the crates then curved her finger at him. He smiled as he eased closer, then picked her up and sat her on a stack of crates. She kissed him as she wrapped her legs around his sides and ran her hands across his shoulders. Her hands drifted down his back, then toward the front of his pants. She quickly unlatched his closure then pushed his pants down. As she pushed his pants further down, her hands slid down his underwear, and she rubbed his hardness. She licked her lips at the anticipation that it would soon be inside her.

Shepard moaned slightly as she continued to rub him. He kissed her lips then slowly kissed down her neck. He's had sex with this woman numerous times over the years but has never made love to her, and it was nowhere near what he did to his wife. He may touch her, kiss her, fondle her, taste her, but he didn't cuddle her or even linger when he's done. He knew this woman cared for him, but he didn't return the favor. He just couldn't and not with the constant reminder of his wife in town.

He heard her let out a moan when he entered her. Her head leaned back as she held on to his shoulder while he moved in and out of her wetness. He groaned and closed his eyes when the imaging wall behind her popped up and said, _"Hello, I'm Liara T'Soni…"_

He quickly reached out and swiped his hand across his wife's face on the screen to close it. He scrunched his face as he pinched his eyes closed as he paused for a moment. He opened his eyes when he felt her soft hand gently touch his face. He knew she was concerned as she looked at him with her caring eyes, and he gave a quick smile as he softly said, "Sorry." He knew she didn't understand what he said, but he knew she probably had a feeling. All he knew was she was highly attracted to him, and she was kind and beautiful. Sex was good but knew he could do much better but didn't want to. He didn't really want to know her because he knew that there could be a chance he could possibly love another as he did for his wife. With the language barrier, it made that easier for him and harder for her. He knew she came and went several times throughout the year, and the few times was here she came looking for him.

He gripped on to her thigh as he pushed his hardness into her. He looked into her eyes then away as he thrust into her. He grunted as she moaned, and he could hear the ecstasy in her moan as she began to breathe raggedly. The way she touched him and kissed him was as his wife would, and as he thought more about her, he could feel a drizzling wetness down his cheek. He quickly wiped his face, then took a deep breath and grit his teeth as he pumped into her faster. He grunted loudly when he released into her. He lingered for a moment, then pulled out and pulled his underwear and pants up. He looked at her, and he knew that she knew something was wrong, but she didn't know what. He just looked at her for a moment, then turn and left. As he walked out, he stood in the dark hallway as he collected himself, then walked back toward the bar. Once he got there, he plopped down on the bar seat and grabbed his lukewarm beer and guzzled it down.

Teyr looked at Kirre then at Shepard and said, "That bad, huh? Her venus trap too frosty for your dingaling."

His beer sprayed out on to the bar as he laughed, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before he said, "Damn Ty."

She laughed, then said, "What?"

He shook his head as his laugh tapered off "Nothing..."

She looked at him, and she knew he still missed her but didn't say anything. She nudged him when they saw several Elementals join the already small group that was sitting in the corner watching them.

Kirre leaned into him and said, "More have shown up in the past month, and they have been keeping an eye on you."

"Yea, I noticed that."

"What is it do you think they want?" asked Kirre

Shepard shook his head, "I'm not sure." His eyes lingered on the milky white female leader then at the other six. He stepped off his stool at the same time Kirre and Teyr said, "Sir?"

"Yea, I see them." He replied as he grabbed his weapon on the bar and clipped it to his back as he saw them making their way to him.

The leader walked up to Shepard while Kirre, Teyr, and several of his newly acquired friends made a wall in front of him. She looked beyond them as she made a move away from movement with her hands as she said, "Zor ka la Zor ka la."

Teyr scoffed, "Fuck you if you think we're moving for you."

Her tone grew angry as she said again, "Zor ka laaa!" When they didn't move, she looked toward one of the males as she jerked her head toward the Shepard wall. The dark-skinned male stepped forward, and his tattoos instantly turned yellow as he pushed his hand toward them, with a blast of energy from his left, then his right as he parted the way for his leader.

Shepard quickly placed his hand on his weapon but froze when he was lifted into the air and placed in front of her. She looked at him, then carefully removed her left glove, then handed it to one of her comrades. Her hand came up to the left side of his temple and hovered near his clawed scar. She jerked her hand away as she took a breath, then placed her hand on it. She let out a quick breath as her head tilted back, and her eyes glazed over white.

Shepard grunted loudly as he fell to his knees then gripped on to her arm tightly when he tried to pull away, but her hand felt as if it was tightly suctioned to his face. His hand dropped when his body jerked violently as he let out an agonizing scream when he immediately relived the moment when the Onikuma ripped open the side of his head. He clenched his teeth when she quickly went from memory to memory as she invaded his mind. Memories from his childhood all the way until now. Even the most intimate ones with his wife.

When she was finished, her eyes returned to normal, and she let out a gasp. She clenched her hand to her body as she breathed heavily. Her tongue wet her dry lips, then she looked at Shepard lying on the ground then over at her cryo elemental, who was desperately trying to hold back her tears and itching to help her lover on the ground. She turned back to Shepard and said, "Jonathan Shepard, I am impressed with your skills, your dead wife's skills, but even more with your daughter Benezia. You two fought one of the great ancients in beast form, and he gave you that mark on your head and face." She glanced at the cryo female and grimaced slightly before she continued, "You had something uniquely special with your asari wife. She was powerful in every way of her life. A powerful woman, power in growth, a leader to her community, a powerful being amongst the asari, skillful, generous, loving, extremely smart, and she loved you and her children unconditionally." She closed her eyes briefly to gather her thoughts then continued, "She was one with your mind, and I even saw her mind within yours. Truly an amazing feeling of such a connection, and you keep her so close to your heart even still."

He grit his teeth, then seethed, "Don't you ever fucking speak of my wife!"

She nodded as she placed her hand on her chest. "Oh, the pain you felt was almost unbearable." She took a deep breath then looked over toward Kirre and Teyr then back as Shepard. "What is more interesting than her is your daughter, Benezia. You and your wife were terrified of what she is capable of, and you should be. She invoked a great ancient, and she harvested his power. She is the goddess we've been waiting for, and I wish to meet her."

He groaned as he sat up, then stood as he said, "You took what was precious to me, and you ripped through it! Flipping through my memories like a fucking tv show, and you want my help? Fuck you." He gave a quick laugh then said, "My daughter is no goddess, and you don't want to meet her. She would tear you all to shreds in a heartbeat regardless of your powers."

She smiled broadly, "I know." She stepped close to him as she said, "These portals, as you call it, are everywhere in the universe. There are a small select few in our galaxy that still know about them and use them today." She flared her nostrils then continued, "Then you all come along and actively use a portal in plain sight and show its existence for everyone to see. Millions... billions... actually who knows how long these portals have been here. Who knows how many species have gone through them and who knows from where." She rose a finger as she continued, "Caution should always be on your mind when you travel through one for the first time because you don't know where you'll end up." She smirked then rose her hands as she said, "You came here of all places and built a town on a planet with Noxrul. A species that was once overpowering and still remains to be a nuisance to our galaxy." She jerked her hand toward the door as she continued, "There was a reason why that portal was closed as are several others, but the re-opening drew our attention. You see, there are no mass relays here for us to travel within our large galaxy via ship, but instead, at one time, we traveled through the portals if it was beyond our cluster. Several species closed off their portal to prevent an invasion others destroyed theirs. Because of the Noxrul and their growing masses, the Elders of many cycles ago deactivated several portals to trap them with this galaxy. There are only a select few that lead outside of our galaxy as the rest only port within. You see, portals can only be closed one of four ways, by destruction, being sealed off, by an ancient or by an Elder with a specific wrist unit. To this day, all those units were destroyed... so we thought."

"You're still at war with the Noxrul?" Asked Shepard

"Yes, they are OUR galaxy's reapers vicious and bloodthirsty creatures of the night, and they swarm our planets like locust just snatching us out of thin air directly from their cruiser. The majority of them hibernate for centuries as their food thrives while they sleep. While a small few remain awake to protect them."

Shepard's face pinched, then he said, "Why not kill them in their sleep?"

She grunted as she replied, "We've thought of that and tempted it, but it only makes matters worse. Killing a protector within a hive would only awaken the others like an alarm, and they never hibernate in the same area twice. Over the cycles, we've been able to kill off multiple hives, and every time we lose a great many, and several hives still remain." She looked down at her wrist unit then continued, "Twenty years remain before their awakening, and we wasted the last few observing you."

Shepard pinched his brows as he said, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you built a town on a planet with a hive, and they will come here first to feed. You see, the species that come here is because they think you are here to save them. They think you are out there looking for the hive." She gave out a quick laugh, "Boy were we wrong, and you have no clue what you've stepped into here. When they do come, you all will attempt to flee home, and with the portal open, they will follow you through."

"I thought it could only be opened with a special wrist unit." Asked Shepard

"Yes and no. According to our documents, an ancient can open a portal without a wrist unit as they are the ones that made them. Everyone else needs a unit, and there are three known ones on this planet." She lifted her wrist and continued, "Including mine, but it doesn't mean that a queen doesn't have one. The portals were hidden for a reason, and you all showed them one. And a galactic exiting one at that."

Shepard ran his hand over his mouth, then said, "This is why you want my daughter. To wipe out the remaining hives before they awaken."

She nodded, "It has been foretold that someone of great flowing power and following minions would come and defeat our evil."

He scrunched his face "Following minions? Well, my daughter doesn't have following minions. Whatever those are."

She rose her finger. "She does, and I've seen them, but your wife had more."

Shepard rumbled in laughter, "You mean our varren? Ok, yea, I can see it." He rubbed his hand on his neck and said, "They have been highly trained and will tear someone's neck out if commanded to do so." He looked over at the milky white woman and said, "You continue to say hive. Why is that?"

"With the Noxrul the females rule and there are at least two queens per hive, depending on the size there could be more, and at least one is awake at all times. The high ruling queen is awake when the majority of the hive is and the lessor queen when the other is asleep."

"So, the soldiers are the males?" replied Shepard

She nodded, "Yes. You kill the queens; then, they can not breed, and therefore the hive dies. Our biggest challenge is getting to the queens as they are highly guarded, and they rarely surface. They can mass breed, and we have yet to figure out how when there are only a handful of queens and massive armies."

Teyr smirked, "Well, they're genetically growing them somehow. There's no other way to explain it."

Shepard huffed, "If that's the case, then we have a bigger issue than just killing off the queen."

The elemental looked at them with a blank stare then said, "Genetically growing them? What does that mean?"

Kirre rolled her eyes. "Goodness, they're more advanced, but yet they aren't."

Shepard flapped his lips as he let out a breath then looked back at the Elemental "Twenty years until the awakening, so we have time to devise a plan."

She bobbed her head around "Ehh give or take it's never a set time but yes." She looked at him for a moment then said, "Are you going to help us?"

He looked over at his friends who just shrugged at him; then, he looked back at her as he took a deep breath. "If you can open the portal back to our home, then yes, I will ask my daughter, and if she agrees, then we will help you."


	12. Breadcrumbs

Shepard Stories III

**Ch 12: Breadcrumbs**

**Ilos** **-** **2310 CE**

Liara glanced back as the men left the portal area then walked over to the large boulder in the middle of the circle. She placed her hand on it as she closed her eyes and softly said, "What are you doing?" She let out a breath and turned when she heard her daughter Benezia say, "How old do you think this is?"

Liara looked back at the boulder then said, "Goddess, I would say ancient…beyond ancient, but it's hard to say because this is something I've never seen this before. I mean… I've seen a boulder before…"

Benezia chuckled softly, "I get what you mean."

She smiled as she looked around at the other boulders then the walls then back at the centerpiece. "Made from nature. No, disguised with nature, clever." She said as she tapped away at her arm terminal, then stopped suddenly then mumbled: "Hmm…Deja Vu."

"Deja Vu? When did you say that before?" asked Benezia

Liara nodded as she responded, "Yes, I've said it before." She looked over at Shandri then said, "When did I say that?"

She shrugged slightly then said, "Maybe when you were looking into Cameron." She snapped her fingers repeatedly then pointed at her as she said, "No, when Vi came and when you were doing one of your documented recordings."

"Ahh, yes. My recordings." She tapped at her arm terminal as she made a note then said, "I'm making a note but remind me to look into that later."

"Of course, but also look into your recording on Cameron. You noted something similar years ago. Umm.." She snapped her fingers as she thought. "When…umm when you saw the video with umm Miranda."

"Oh! Right ummm Dead Man's Hollow. Yes…"

Benezia pinched her brow markings as she said, "Dead Man's Hollow?" She looked back at her bondmate then at her mother, "The canyon's on Earth?"

Liara turned to her daughter, "Yes. Have you been?"

Milizkia stepped forward and said, "No, we haven't, but the name rings a bell. My sister mentioned to me once about going canyoning with Cameron in Dead Man's Hollow. She spoke about how interesting it was and how "adventuring" was something she may pursue." She paused for a moment then continued, "It was out of character for her as she doesn't really do those particular outdoorsy type activities and why it caught our attention."

Liara nodded, "Hmm, so she told you about this without telling you about this."

"Yes, I suppose so."

She pulled at her lip, then said, "Do you have any idea where Dead Man's Hollow is?"

Benezia scratched at the back of her neck as she glanced at her bondmate and said, "North America region, ummm" She swirled her hand as she thought, "It has an odd name."

Her mother laughed softly then said, "Anything outside our asari planets and language is always odd."

Several laughed, then Benezia said, "True, but this is ummm, it's umm your tall. No, Taw…no, it's...Oh! Utah, yes, well, hmmm, I think…" She looked at her bondmate as she said, "Right?"

Milizkia shook her as she shrugged then said, "Maybe. No, wait, it was in a zone."

Liara arched a brow marking, "A zone?"

She nodded then said, "Yes, hmm, I think. Like an air zone. No, airy zone."

"Arizona?" replied Liara.

Mili pointed to her as she said, "Yes. That's it."

Liara gave her a lopsided grin as she shook her head "That's where Miranda's facility is."

"Ahh, that's right. Ok, then Nez is probably correct on the location."

Gwyn spoke, "Well, both have canyons, but the question is, where exactly is Dead Man's Hollow? The more difficult part is where would a portal be within the miles upon miles of canyons. The harder part is these portals are disguised by nature. What would we even be looking for?"

Liara grunted as she replied, "Precisely… and they weren't made to be noticed or found by just anyone. I'm assuming they aren't all boulders, either."

Benezia walked up to one of the outer ring boulders and placed her hand on it then quickly pulled her hand away when the veins in her hand turned red.

Her mother quickly turned when she saw the boulder flicker for a moment, and a small symbol appeared on it then vanished. She immediately reached out her hand "What did you do? What did you push?"

Benezia's eyes darted around the room as she quickly replied, "Nothing. I just touched it as you did."

Liara walked up to the boulder her daughter touched then touched it, but nothing happened, then another with the same result. She looked at her daughter and said: "Touch it again."

She looked at her bondmate, then her mother as she placed her hand on the outer boulder again and watched as the veins in her hand turned red, and the symbol on the stone came to life.

A broad smile formed across Liara's face then said, "Amazing. It sparks for you but not me, and we're both golden. Why?"

Benezia shrugged, "I don't know, maybe because I've used my powers more than you."

Liara pulled at her lip as she paced, then stopped and turned toward them slowly as she said: "Possibly, but what if it's because you consumed an ancient's aura that day on the mountain."

"What are you saying?" asked Benezia

"I'm saying that the Onikuma was supposed to be a myth, but it wasn't. What if it was more than just a creature. Maybe it comes back every ten thousand years for a reason other than to just feed. When you think about it, that makes no sense. It comes back for a purpose."

Benezia cocked her head and replied, "Like an observer?"

Her mother shrug slightly, "Maybe, maybe not, I'm not sure but just a theory. Think about it; your aura permanently changed after you consumed it." She tapped at her head, "It thrives in here. I've seen it."

"True, but explain Dad's."

She shook her head, "Your father is an anomaly due to his nanites and whatever else Cerberus did to him. That Onikuma gouged his skull, and maybe by doing so, it left its mark...literally." She pointed at her daughter, "It bit you're arm and gouged your sides, so there's also that similarity."

Benezia touched her arm then her sides as she grunted: "Ugh, don't remind me."

Liara lifted her finger. "The difference is your father doesn't have the remnants flourishing in his mind as you do. I will say his biotics are a tad more advanced but nowhere near mine or yours. I think whatever that Onikuma is or was is tied to this somehow."

Benezia placed her hand on the boulder and watched as it lit up, and a small symbol flashed. She removed her hand when her younger sister walked up to it and looked at it.

"It reminds me of a biometric reader tied to a keypad…" Said Gwyn as she placed her hand on one boulder then the next "…Each being a different keypad possibly."

Liara quickly snapped her fingers "That's exactly what it is. Whoever made these don't need the hand devices Cameron is using because it recognizes a bloodline or a print."

Gwyn nodded as she said, "Possibly. Let me take a deep scan of this area and see if I can find anything."

"Good idea." She turned to her daughter Benezia. "Document this while I go check out your father's ship."

They nodded at their mother then went to work. Liara turned to Shandri and said, "Let's go search Shepard's ship and see if he left anything behind."

—/

Liara walked into Shepard's quarters and looked around. She noticed an unfamiliar box on his desk, and his laptop was missing. An object he usually leaves on his desk when he's out on missions. She made her way to the box and opened it to find it empty. She pinched her brow markings and turned to Shandri, "Do you have any idea what was in here?"

She shook her head, "No, ma'am. Maybe something he brought back from his trip to Nefrane."

Liara arched a brow marking "Nefrane? The southernmost region of Thessia. No one ventures down there as the weather is barely feasible at a category three. What was he doing there?"

"Oh, right the Liara that told me about that, wasn't you. The cloned Liara said Shepard was returning later than expected because he had to make a trip to Serrice then Nefrane. He was returning with a gift from Serrice and meeting an unknown in Nefrane."

She smiled briefly. "Awww he bought me something?" she said, then her smiled faded as the back of her hand came up to her mouth while her face scrunched. She sniffled then quickly gathered herself, then said, "Nefrane? What would an unknown be doing in Nefrane?" She gasped then said, "That ancient city is a myth. They found it?"

Shandri nodded. "The Onikuma was a myth that has become true. We have to assume that this city is real, and they led Shepard there. They gave him something, but they didn't just hand him the info they put it in a secure box. Whatever it was, it was of great importance." She tapped at her arm terminal then said, "According to his flight records, they planned to go back, but then they redirected to Omega."

"Hmm, well, it concludes the change and the branding tattoo. So, he stopped at Omega and talked to Aria, and she obviously helped him get through. I need to speak with her and find out what they talked about." She tapped the box on his desk. "I also need to find out what was in here, and I would like to head to Nefrane once we're done here."

Shandri nodded, "I have the coordinates here. When you're ready, we can head there."

"Thank you." She said as she looked off toward the box on the desk. She stood there staring at it, then turned and said: "What do you think he's doing?"

"I'm not sure, but he's motivated. The night he left, he said he had shit to do. It's like he's on a mission where he's looking for something or someone. He changed his appearance for a reason."

"NMmm. Because most people currently know him with long hair and a beard but not as he did during the war, the modification was a way to disguise himself even more because he knew he'd eventually run into Cameron and possibly Jessie on the other side. Still, scars signify resilience and stand for something." She placed her hand on the box "Whatever was in here was something worth doing all this for. Something he knew I would want to see, and he's going after it; that's why he's dedicated, and with the girls grown and with me gone, then why not." Tears began to trickle down her face as she continued, "He went on a journey, and I have no idea if I'll ever see him again."

Liara plopped down on to her bed and cried into her hands for a short period of time. She sniffled as she wiped her face and stared at the floor as her mind began to turn. The longer she

sat and stared at the metal floor, the anger within her began to burn through her veins. When she stood, her demeanor changed as she snarled, "Try to kill me, you little shits, and I'll bring your whole fucking world down!"

She turned to her friend and said, "Everything Cameron and Jeserie have I want it but don't impede on anything dealing with Aria. The shipment of air and water to Alcazar and Omega has just doubled in price, and approval of change will come to me and only me."

Shandri rose her finger "Well, wouldn't that impede—"

"Fuck her!" She took a deep breath, then said, "I'm sorry, Shay. I will speak with Aria. Oh, I want Miranda's exception in her will applied immediately. If any ill will is caused to any family member, then it will revoke any and all assets. Any inheritance that Shepard gave to Cameron revoke it." She rose her finger, then said, "Same applies to Jeserie. Shut her shit down too!"

Shandri nodded, "Yes, ma'am. Lia umm, you don't own all of water and air."

She took a heavy breath as she grit her teeth then looked at her friend "I will by the end of today. I will buy everything that they deal with just to fuck up their plans. They will see a side of me they will wish they have never fucking seen. When they come back through this door, they will have NOTHING!" She was breathing heavily as she tapped at her arm terminal then tossed the call on the imaging wall as it rang. When the purple asari appeared on her wall, she calmly said, "Aria…"

Aria had a look of complete confusion on her face at the sight of Liara. "Is this some kind of sick fucking joke?"

Liara plainly said, "No…"

"Shepard was here not too long ago in distraught telling me you were fucking dead, but here you are. So, what the fuck is going on?"

"The attempt was made, but they were unsuccessful. He left abruptly before he was informed of what was going on. I want to know how you get through."

She rolled her eyes "I will tell you what I told him. I don't fucking know. I've never been there, and I've never seen how they work. All I know is Cameron and Jessie have these wrist units that open it. They open it quarterly for supplies and to allow people in and out. That's all I know."

Liara crossed her arm as she huffed, "So, Aria T'Loak admits that she doesn't know something."

Aria quickly snapped back, "Fuck you, Liara!"

"NO Fuck you! You think I'm an idiot?" She pointed her finger at the imaging wall and seethed, "You played a part in all of this. Didn't you? Prepping Jessie for this and the theft that's right up your alley, is it?"

Aria stared at her then plainly said, "I had no part in the attempt on your life, and I was just as surprised when he told me you were killed." She thumped her chest as she continued to speak, "I feared for my children's lives because I thought Benezia was going to go on a fucking rampage."

Liara smirked, "Oh, she did and was going to continue until Mili stopped her, and that's when the truth was unveiled." She glared at her then said, "You stole from me, didn't you? From all of us, even your own daughter. Was what he paid you worth it?"

Aria crossed her arms as she let out a long breath "I didn't know who he was or what at the time." Her arms dropped as she continued, "The job was already completed before I found out that I stole shit from you or my daughter. When I did, I told him I was done because I didn't want the conflict."

"And your payment?"

"Why does it fucking matter?"

Her nostrils flared as her anger grew, then she sneered "Because no one steals from me! Especially millions of credits worth of product. Now tell me, Aria, what would you do if I did that to you? Hmm? What would you demand from me?"

"Fuck you, Liara. I'm not reimbursing you for what was taken. What's done is done, and that product is gone."

Liara smirked as she slowly ran her tongue over the point on her canine tooth."Is that what you think? You just say what's done is done, and that's it?" She shook her head as she sternly said, "No. I'll send you a bill, and you will pay it. If you don't, I'll come and take it from you."

Aria's head jerked back as she replied, "Is that a fucking threat?"

She quickly pointed her finger at the screen as she replied, "You're damn right it's a threat! Not only will you reimburse me, but I will own Oveo, Inc by the end of the week."

Aria grit her teeth and hissed, "You don't want a war with me!"

A wicked smile slowly crept across her face then she roared back "No, you don't want a war with ME! I don't think you realize just how much of this galaxy I own. You may be the Queen of Omega, but you can't rule it without air, can you? First, I'll cut off your air then proceed to cut off your food and your fuel."

Her face fell, then she growled, "Don't fuck with me, and you wouldn't dare!"

Her eyes flashed as she said, "Try me."

Aria smirked "You're bluffing. What you have in mind is dark for someone of your nature. Liara T'Soni, the high and mighty do-gooder killing off the people of Omega. Ruining your image all because of me. Ha!"

Without hesitation, venom spew from her lips, "You think you know me? You don't know a DAMN thing about ME! Dark? You have no fucking idea just how DARK I can be!" She tapped away at her arm terminal then said, "Your due for a shipment of air soon, aren't you? You must be fairly low if you requested it to be expedited." She continued to tap at her arm terminal then said, "I just canceled your shipment. Let me how it feels when you're gasping for air by the end of next week. At that time, you'll be begging me for help, and you won't receive it. I hope your ship is fueled and ready because by then, you won't have any."

Aria's brow markings quickly pinched as she stared at the screen. Liara stared back at her waiting on a reply, then smugly said, "What's the matter, Aria, a pyjak got your tongue? Hmm? Tevos can't get you out of this one when I own the company."

Her nostrils flared as she narrowed her eyes. "Send me your fucking bill, but Oveo, Inc remains." She pointed at the screen as she snarled, "And send me my fucking shipment!"

"Deal." replied Liara before her screen went black then turned when Shandri spoke.

"Damn Liara, that was vicious, and you made my scales goosey." She said as she rubbed her arms.

Liara's heart was beating fast as she let out a breath then replied, "I made my own scales goosey.

They both turned when they heard Mili say, "I can't believe you scared her into paying you."

Liara opened her mouth, then closed it then said, "Mili… I didn't even hear you come in. What did you hear?"

"I heard enough." She said as she looked down then back at Liara. Tears gathered in her eyes as she said, "My own mother and sister." She rubbed her hand over her heart then said, "A dagger in my heart."

Liara walked up to her and wrapped her arms around her then said, "I'm sorry, sweetie."

She pulled away gently, then wiped her tears and said, "Don't be. My mother will do what's always best for her, and Jess has always been up my mother's ass." She paused for a moment then said, "I will take a Liara approach on what I do with Jess, and that will be that she will forever be struck from any all things T'Seius."

Liara arched a brow marking as she nodded then said, "Well, her bank account is draining fast with the removal of both sides of her inheritance. What of your mother? Also, what do you think Benezia will do?"

"Nezzie will be infuriated at the betrayal, but she will let me handle my own family affairs. As for my mother, she's never been there for me as you and Miranda have been. You two have been more of a mother than she ever was."

Liara smiled then said, "Mili, you've always been a daughter to me."

"I know." She took a deep breath then said, "You know you've always amazed me with your critical negotiations. I honestly believed that you would have cut off their air and let them die slowly."

She chuckled as she shook her head, "No, I wouldn't have..." she paused then continue, "...well I would in the utmost extreme of circumstances but definitely not for product." She smiled as she placed her hands on her hips. "Besides, I've already collected insurance on that product, as I'm sure you have."

Mili laughed as she replied, "I did, but you are wicked."

"I know, but I'm just playing the game." She rose her finger as she continued, "You see when Cameron and Jessie come back through, they will have Aria on their ass for payment plus interest because there's no way she is just going to let millions of credits go without kickback."

Mili nodded, "Very true, and by taking what they have, they won't be able to pay. They also won't have extra cushion to rely upon."

She smiled slowly, "Precisely." Liara dropped her head as she let out another breath then softly said, "What has happened?" She looked up as she lifted her hands and said, "All of this because of the actions of one person and it's ripple effects. Who would have ever thought this would have spiraled so badly out of control?"

"No one would have thought it, but I think it's time to wake her, and she needs to help fix this. I don't think it can be done without her. With who we have left working together, then we should figure this out."

Liara nodded, "You're right. I'll get with Gwyn on waking her."

"Oh, speaking of Gwyn. I almost forgot why I came in here. She found something interesting that she wants you to see."

—/

**Omega**

After Aria's vidcall went dark, she placed her hands on her desk has she hung her head. She let out a long breath, then slammed her fist down on her desk and grumbled, "Fuck!" She grit her teeth as her nostrils flared then said, "This is exactly what I didn't want to fucking happen."

"So, now what?" Asked Bray

She took a breath then said, "Get Jessie on the line, I need to talk to her about this." When her daughter appeared before her, she snarled, "What the fuck are you two thinking trying to kill Liara?"

Jessie huffed then said, "I told him that was a bad idea, and I had nothing to do with that!" She paused for a moment then said, "Wait, she's not dead?"

Aria shook her head, then said, "No, she was presumed dead."

"Presumed dead? Cam said her throat was cut. Even Shepard called him and confirmed she was dead. Why'd he lie about that?"

"He didn't lie about it he thought she was dead."

"That doesn't make any sense. He would know, right?"

"I don't know what the fuck is going on over there, but Liara is not dead because I just fucking spoke to her. Now she's pissed, and there's no telling what she will do."

Jessie let out a laugh then said, "Oh please, it's Liara. What is she going to do?"

Aria sucked her teeth then replied, "Don't underestimate her Jess. As much time as you've spent in her home, you obviously don't know her as well as you think you do because Liara definitely has a dark side. How far her darkness goes is unknown to me, but I've seen her torture an Eclipse member and very violently at that." She ran her hand over her chin as she looked off to the side as she thought about that day. "There were two teams…"

"You've told me this story, mother. Benezia killed almost everyone, and you all rescued Shepard."

She nodded slowly as she looked off to the side for a moment then back at her daughter "Yes, but what I didn't tell you was the part when I saw Liara torturing an asari. I saw a side of her that will forever be burned into my brain, and I would have never believed it if I didn't see it for myself. She battered the hell out of this asari, externally, internally, and mentally." She snapped her finger repeatedly as she said, "Just move after move with very short breaks in between." She waved her hand over her face then said, "The asari was bleeding out of every visible orifice, and when Liara was done, then the asari just fell to the ground. There was no thud when she fell but more like a slush because there was nothing solid left internally." She made a hand movement toward the ground as she continued, "It was just a pile of asari goo. The look I saw in Liara's eyes was wicked and glowing with hatred, but she also had a glint of satisfaction."

Jessie's eyes widen as she said, "You're speaking of Liara? Like Liara…Liara?"

Aria tilted her head to the side as she pinched her brow markings together then said, "Yes, Liara, who the fuck else would it be? Do you know another Liara?"

"Umm, no…"

"Then why the fuck would you ask such an ignorant ass question."

She shrugged as she shook her head "I don't know because it's hard to believe her doing something like that. I mean she's always been nice, and she's Thessia's do-gooder. I mean…"

"Exactly my point! That's what makes her extremely dangerous because you would never believe it until she's standing over you, pulling your innards out."

She rubbed the side of her neck as she replied, "Ok, so now what?

Aria rubbed her eyes as she grunted then said, "He's fucked this entire operation up. Benezia went on a damn killing spree and would have continued if it wasn't for your sister. Now we have a highly pissed off Liara. Who the fuck knows what she's going to do with endless amounts of credits at her fingertips. Do you know how fucked we are?"

Jessie looked down, then back at her mother, "Severely by the sound of your tone."

"At the time, I didn't think about it because Liara was "dead," but I'll tell you now. Your father went through the portal."

Her face dropped as she said, "What? Why would you help him, mother?"

She smirked, "Again, with the amount of time that you've been at their home, you apparently know nothing about them. Liara and Shepard never quit when it comes to something they're adamant about. He would have never stop pestering me about the location or how. Speaking of…whatever crew that you assigned to that last shipment get rid of them. If Liara made it to Ilos by following Shepard, then she probably came in contact with your crew. I know Liara, she would have bribed them for information, and credits have a way of making people do things such as running their mouths."

Jessie nodded as she said, "I'll have that order sent out immediately. So now what?"

"Caution is what. She'll be watching our every move. Continue to mine the asteroids but put the shipments in a warehouse until further notice." She let out a breath as she sat down in her chair then unlocked a drawer in her desk. She reached in and pulled out a small blacken quartz type crystal. She lifted it as she said, "What of this? Have they found anymore?"

"They have found a location on Xa'lorcean and are mining it. That mineral is highly sought after in that galaxy, but we haven't quite figured out why no one searches for in on the planet we're on. I mean, Cam thinks he knows why but he's not for certain."

"What is the possible reason?"

"A species known as the Noxrul. They can be problematic and extremely dangerous. We believe they may be deterring the other species from this planet, but we haven't come in contact with very many of them. The few that we have come in contact with we killed with the loss of several. We've also captured a few to learn more about them. The last report from Cam was that more species have arrived, and now these new ones referred to as the Elementals. Another possible problematic species."

Aria nodded as she rolled the crystal around in her hand then said, "And the analysis on this?"

"A super-dense mineral that greatly amplifies energy. Similar if not more powerful than Element Zero. Tests are still being run on it, and the scientists are ecstatic about it. A new Element, they said. Mother, we are the only ones in this galaxy with access to this, and who knows what we can do with it."

A smile crept across her face as she said, "Find out what all it can do and let me know. Once we know, then we will put a price on it and sell the shit out of it."

She nodded in response then said, "What of Ilos?"

"If Liara did make it there, then she will be monitoring it. For now, let's use the Beta portal and slow the shipments down to twice a year or maybe once a year until we find out what Shepard and Liara are doing. Stay on high alert and be cautious of Liara and of your sister and Benezia. When word gets back to them about this, then they will probably come looking for answers."

"Mother, they will come to you first."

She steepled her fingers as she leaned back in her chair. "True, and I will tell them what I told Shepard and Liara. That I know nothing."

"Just like that?" replied Jessie

Aria leaned forward in her chair and said, "Yes, I will handle your sister." She paused for a moment then said, "Oh, by the way, you owe me a hundred million credits."

She blinked slowly, then said, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. That's the price you pay for fucking around with Liara's shit. I don't care how you or Cameron get it, but I want my credits."

She huffed, "But…"

Aria rose from her chair as she spoke, "I'm not going to take a loss for information that you two failed to provide to me before I helped you." She stared at her daughter, and sternly said, "You WILL replenish my credits. Do you understand me?"

She huffed as she looked off to the side, then said, "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Get to work and try to stay off the grid." She said then her screen faded to black.

-/

Liara walked off Shepard's ship and made her way back to the portal. She walked toward her daughters as she said, "What did you find?"

Gwyn walked over to her as she tapped at her arm terminal and said, "Look at this."

Liara pinched her brow markings at the energy lines coming from the boulders to a location in the planetary wall. "What is that?"

"Just as you said..." She placed her hand on a boulder "This is a machine being disguised by nature. These energy lines are what's powering it." She walked across the room and touched the wall. "The source is here, but I'm not sure how you open it. My scanner isn't picking up the latch."

Liara looked at her daughter's screen at the small baseball-type object in the wall, "Wait, is that the source? It doesn't look very big. I mean, the mass relays are powered by massive amounts of eezo, but you're saying this source is in the wall?"

Gwyn nodded, "Yes." She tapped at her arm terminal then said, "According to my arm terminal, it's constructed of the same element we found years ago in the facility."

"Interesting." Replied Liara. "Have you…"

"Tested it? Of course, I have. It's more powerful than eezo, and its structure is ummm unique. You can build with it, liquefy it, ingest it; you can add to it to make it combustible…the list goes on." She paused then said, "You know the weapons we found in the facility and that particular wrist unit?"

Liara nodded, "Yes. What about them?"

"Well, the black stuff in the wrist unit was this the new element. Element 99, let's call it. That tiny amount, powers the unit." She touched the wall then said, "It also sends the signal to this." She paused, then touched her sidearm, then said, "Now the weapons we found were charged by crystals."

Liara nodded then said, "Correct, but what did you learn?"

She pulled her weapon from her side then removed a small cover as she said, "That those same types of weapons can be modified to hold something else. Such as a small vial of this Element 99 liquid, and this can create a powerful blast."

Liara arched her brow marking as she walked over to her daughter and looked down at her weapon, "Why is it yellow?"

"That's the color it formed when combing chemicals. The cylindrical tubing is roughly 5.6 mm in diameter and half an inch long." She lifted the weapon and said, "I've fired this over a thousand times, and I haven't had to replace this cylinder. It doesn't overheat when shooting repeatedly, so there's no cooldown factor, and just like dad's weapon, you can apply different variations."

Anna let out a breath and harshly said, "Are you insane? What if Cameron got a hold of that or someone else? We'd be fucked!"

Liara waved her hand at Anna. "Ok, ok, let's just calm down." She shook her head slightly then said, "Gwyn, the other weapons were bad enough, but this."

"I know, but this element isn't from here." She pointed at the boulder "It's from somewhere out there. You have to wonder why they are so interested in what's out there." She plucked the vial from the weapon and lifted it. "Maybe it's this, or maybe it's something else." She looked at Anna and said, "Whatever he slashed her with wasn't from here either…" She pointed to the boulder, "…but from somewhere out there." She looked at her mother "There are countless dangers everywhere we look here. But who knows what lurks beyond these infinite doors, primitives, people such as us or maybe highly advanced races? Who knows, but we must prepare for what may come through here."

Liara closed her eyes, then looked over at the boulder and said, "You're right. The door is open, and we must be cautious." She looked at Gwyn and said, "How many have you made?"

She smiled and said, "Enough for everyone and more." She lifted the vial as several shook their heads. "For security purposes, the vials are not near the physical weapon. You wouldn't even think the two go together."

Liara nodded then said, "When you had the wrist unit with you, were you able to reconstruct it?"

"I was able to reconstruct the exterior. That part was fairly easy, but the innards were complicated. Not necessarily the actual components…" She intertwined her fingers together as she continued, "…but getting the right components, program, and coding to talk to each other as they should. Programming and coding crystals are…" she let out a long breath and said, "… way different than coding our electronics. The more I work with these alien items, the more I'm understanding them. Ummm, they are simple but yet complex."

Anna arched her brow marking then said, "Mom asked a simple fucking question, and you went on this long, incoherent tangent. Nobody fucking cares about the mumbo jumbo nerd shit. Did you fucking reconstruct it or not? Is there one available to us or not?"

"Anna!" exclaimed her mother.

Gwyn rolled her eyes "Yes and no because I'm still working on it. I didn't have the other one long enough to figure out how it worked exactly."

"But, there is one functioning?" Replied Anna

"No, I just said I didn't get that far."

Anna rose her hand and nodded as she quickly said, "Ok. So you're saying that Cameron and Jessie are smarter than you. I thought Cameron was about as dumb as a box of rocks, but apparently not. Because obviously they figured out how to use it, and you can't."

Gwyn huffed as she replied, "They didn't reconstruct one or attempt to code one, I did. All they did was figure out how to turn a functioning unit on then went to the last known location on that unit. I'm pretty sure they don't hop from gate to gate to gate." She pointed to herself, "I want to know how the unit actually works with the gate. Can I turn the wrist unit on? Yes. Can I connect it to this gate? Probably. Where will it send me? I have no idea. I want to know that if I walked into this portal that I know without a doubt that I can get back home. I don't want to walk through here and be stranded on the other side of who knows what."

Anna lifted her brow markings as she nodded then she said, "Fair enough."

Liara's eyes darted from Anna to Gwyn then said, "Ok, everyone lets just take a step back. Let's gather what we can on information then head out." She turned to Shay and said, "Shay, let's get cameras set up in here. I want eyes on this portal at all times. If someone comes through here, I want to know about it."

Shandri nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

"Good, once we get back, I want to get a crew together for Nefrane." She looked over at Gwyn and said, "Gwynne, I also want Miranda wakened."

Gwyn nodded, "Ok. I'll begin the preparations the moment I get back."

—/

**Nefrane, Thessia – 2311 CE.**

Several months have passed since Shepard went through the portal. Liara was on Nefrane walking through the facility they found. She clutched her already zipped up jacket tighter together. "Goddess above, it is cold today." She said as her warm breath flowed through the freezing air.

Miranda shivered slightly as she grunted, "That it is." She looked around the room then said, "So now what?"

Liara bent down and pick up a piece of the shattered portal, "I'm not sure. But this place was evacuated, and their portal was demolished, and the only thing left is destroyed ruins. The question is, why? What happened here for this to occur?"

"Maybe it was for a good reason." Replied Shandri. "Maybe this section of the planet wasn't freezing at the time, and they left when the climate changed drastically."

"Maybe so. If they ran from, let's say the reapers then destroying the portal was for a good reason. They didn't want to be followed or found. Is this Thessia's only portal? A portal in a frozen deserted ghost city?" replied Liara

Miranda walked the area then into another room and loudly said, "You know the more I look at this place, the more I think this was a top-secret location."

Liara scrunched her brow markings as her voice echoed off the walls, and she struggled to hear her friend. She walked into the room Miranda was in and said: "What did you say?"

"I said I think this was a top-secret location." She pointed to the ceiling and said, "It's covered in a dome and practically untraceable. They wanted it to be unfound. What do you think they were doing here?"

"Well, the portal, obviously." Replied Liara

"Yes, but did you notice that this portal wasn't disguised in nature as you've said, and it's also in a facility."

Liara looked at the small broken piece in her hand, then said, "True."

"So, think about it. Secret location off the grid with a fabricated portal. What's that say to you?"

"Government or faction of some sort."

Miranda nodded. "Exactly. So, this isn't Thessia's portal."

Liara watched Miranda walk through the large room as she touched the machinery "Hmmm. That's good news. What is going through your mind?"

She shook her head as her eyes drifted over the strange machine. She crossed her arms then ran her hand over her mouth as she glanced around the room at the numerous machines in the room then said, "They were making something here."

Liara glanced around at the machines, then said, "Portals?"

Miranda scrunched her eyebrows as she shook her head, "No…" She wiped the thick grime off a piece of plexiglass then tapped her knuckles on it "People or animals maybe."

Liara's eyes widen, "What?"

She grunted slightly then said, "nMmm, this looks to be some type of growing facility. This machine looks like a growth pod. Maybe they did experiments here."

Shandri scrunched her face as she replied, "I wonder if we were experimented on here."

Liara shook her head. "Doubtful. This is much older than our species. If experiments were done here, it wasn't on us."

"Well, whatever they were doing, they were also using the portal along with it."

Liara rose her finger "It's making more sense now. Whatever they were doing was frowned upon, and someone came in and shut it down. Destroy it."

Miranda kneeled down to take a closer look at the machine, then said, "Could be." She stood then walked to another machine and said, "Yes, they damaged all of these." She turned and looked at Liara and said, "Either someone came and destroyed it or whoever ran this facility destroyed it to cover their tracks."

Liara blinked several times as she shook her head, "I wonder if it's just this main area because this facility is massive." She tapped at her arm terminal then said, "From the topography mapping results I received from Glyph, this is only ten rooms of possibly fifty or more. Over eighty percent of the area is blocked off."

"Doesn't matter; we found what you were looking for." Said Miranda

"Yes, but there could be…"

She let out a long breath. "Wherever we are, this isn't a city but just a facility. If there is a city, then this isn't it. Liara digging here is near impossible with the permafrost ground, and there's not much you can do from the weather alone. We were lucky that what you wanted was visible."

Liara hung her head. "True, and even if I wanted to search this facility, it would take years and specialized equipment."

"Exactly, and you can come back to it when you're finished with your current project."

"You're right. Let's take and analyze what we've found." She let out a long breath and said, "And continue to keep searching." She looked down when her arm terminal rang and smiled when it was her daughter Benezia. "Hello, my dear."

"Hi, momma. Mil has found an underground bunker at her estate, and she would like you to come if at all possible."

She nodded, "I can do that. I was just about to finish up here."

"Finish up? Was it a bust?"

Liara grunted, "Not everything, but the portal was destroyed, and the weather makes it damn near impossible to dig and study."

Benezia grimaced. "Well, you knew it was going to be a reach even before you headed there."

She nodded, "That I did."

"Oh, speaking of digging. Have you checked your email? Your colleague and my professor Dr. Darii has been trying to reach you repeatedly, and when she didn't, she sent me an email."

"I haven't. I've been too busy here. What did she need?"

"Just that she was looking for you and something of importance about one of our garden worlds."

Liara pinched her brow markings then said, "What about them?"

She shrugged then replied, "I'm not sure she didn't go into detail. She said to respond at your earliest convenience."

"Hmm. Ok, I'll take a look. I need to wrap up here; then, I'll be meet you in Serrice in a few days." Liara tapped at her arm terminal and clicked on her email. Her brow markings raised when she saw several emails from her colleague Dr. Helen Darii.

Liara,

A package came to the Archeology department, and I'm going to apologize off the bat. It seems it's been sitting for some time, and I opened it. I know, and I'm sorry for opening something that was addressed to you. It was in the everyone's bin, and I honestly didn't look at who it was addressed to, but you'll be happy that I did. There's been a discovery by an unknown on one of the asari planets called Sanves. I've sent a small group to investigate. Please contact me at your earliest convenience to discuss.

Liara,

It's been several weeks since my last email, and you haven't responded. I hope all is well. The small crew I sent out to Sanves has found the particular location noted in the paperwork that was left. Good news, there is an actual location to excavate. Please let me know if you would like to handle this, or I can take point if you're busy. Please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Liara,

It's been about two months since my initial email, and my concern for your absence is growing. Your knowledge and presence here would be much appreciated. Please contact me.

Once Liara made it on to her ship, she tapped at her arm terminal and called her colleague. She tossed the call on to the closest imaging wall and waited for her to answer.

"Good lord Liara. Where have you been?"

Liara smiled as she said, "Extremely busy, and I appreciate the concern. What do you have?"

A broad smile formed on her face as she said, "An untouched site."

"You're kidding?" She said happily. Her smile faded somewhat when she saw Miranda shaking her head no. She looked down then said, "I would love to help you, but I'm swamped with the project I'm working on."

She huffed, "We really need your expertise here."

She rose her finger, "Wait in your email you said the package came from an unknown. That's strange."

She nodded, "Yes, it was as most would want the finders fee."

Liara looked over at Miranda then back at her colleague "I have a few things to finish up here. I'll try and be there within the next week or so."

When the call ended, she looked over Shandri and said, "You said Shepard received an email to meet up with an unknown at Nefrane."

"Yes, do you think this is the same person or group?" asked Shandri

"I don't know, but maybe this is another gate location." replied Liara

-/

**Sanves - 2313CE**

Liara and her crew were down in an underground location excavating. Liara was brushing dirt off a bone specimen as her daughter Benezia was currently hovering over her. Liara smiled as her daughter's arm came by her face as she pointed at the specimen. "Mom, look, it's not an animal but sapient."

Her mother laughed softly. "Yes, I can see that." She finished dusting the leg bone off, then lifted it from the ground. She smiled broadly then said, "The dismissed theory was correct."

Benezia pinched her brow markings as she said, "Dismissed theory?"

She nodded then said, "Yes, this is a male."

"A human? But this location is old and much older than when we came in contact with them."

Her mother placed the specimen down, then said, "No, not a human but an asari."

She jerked her head back, "What? How can you be sure?"

"I'm not, but I'm making an educated guess that it is and I bet if we took a DNA extraction from

this bone, it'll tell me this is a male."

"What if it's human?" She looked around then said, "There has to be a portal in one of these rooms if there are human males here." She looked at her mother then said, "Sorry, I mean asari males. If it is what you say it is then why here and not Thessia?"

"Good question. Maybe we didn't derive from Thessia. Maybe we were brought there and evolved into who we are now." She said then began to brush at another nearby bone specimen. "If we had males, then we are not mono-gendered but evolved that way to survive or were genetically modified to survive. The prothean Javik I once knew said we were modified. What if they took us from another planet and experimented on us and left us on Thessia to grow."

"Why just the females though?" asked Benezia

"Well, males are always a threat to other cultures, and they apparently had no need for the males."

"So they killed them?"

"Possibly or they just eventually died off. With the females always being the child-bearer, they can't continue without them."

Benezia looked at her with pinched brow markings then said, "So, the original asari procreated as humans do?"

"Yes...I would assume so."

They both turned when Miranda spoke, "That theory is wrong. If this planet had asari males, then you all would have known about it a long time ago because the surface would have had male bones. These bones are underground. My theory is these males were made and then killed off because this is another facility."

Liara rose her finger as she said, "No, Nefrane was a work facility. This is an underground living facility. There's a difference."

"Yes, but wasn't the location you worked on with Benezia several years also an underground facility.

That place was strange too." Said Miranda

Liara cock her brow then said, "Yes, it was an extensively large facility. Living and working quarters but topside was harsh with a category two environment. The underground living made sense..." her words trailed off as she thought about what she just said. "...but this doesn't with topside not having a harsh environment and hidden within a dense forest." she quickly tapped at her arm terminal as she scanned through emails then said, "An unknown sent me info on that location, and it's where Nez found the wrist unit." She turned to Shandri and said, "The documented pictures of the Nefrane wrist unit I found in my records that Shepard left. Plus, the portal and strange machinery we found there." She looked around as she said, "Now this place and these highly possible asari male bones and who knows what else we'll find here."

"Do you think another wrist unit is here? Or a portal?" Asked Benezia

"I'm not sure, but someone is leaving breadcrumbs. Someone wants me to find these places or these items, and I'm not sure why."

"The more interesting question is. How did they already know what was there or here and that you would find it?" asked Miranda

Liara's mouth dropped open slightly, then replied, "You're right, that is interesting."


	13. Strange

Shepard Stories III

**Ch13: Strange**

**Excavation – Sanves – 2314CE**

Benezia was walking down a slanted path, and she stopped when she came to quadrant E, an area they were finally getting around to working on. She knelt down and opened a case of several carefully placed baseball-sized orbs. She grabbed one from the case and released it into the air. It hovered in the middle of the hallway as she tapped at her arm terminal. "Ok, find me something good." She said as a scanning laser beamed from the front and moved up and down as it scanned the area for artifacts, walls, doors, etc. While it was scanning, she grabbed another orb out of the box and released it into the air, and it waited for the scanning orb's instruction to carefully laser cut away any section of dirt or growth debris.

Finally, she released the last two that were the cleanup crew. About thirty minutes had gone by, and Benezia was heading back to the main area when her arm terminal dinged. She quickly hit her com unit for her mother, "Mom, The scanner picked up something down in E."

"Fantastic! I'm heading there now." Replied her mother

They arrived at the paused orb that was hovering and waiting for directions. "Ok, see what it found." Said Liara.

Benezia tapped at her arm terminal and pinched her brow markings at what the orb was revealing. "There's a door behind these layers of dirt and growth."

Liara smiled. "Excellent. Let's get it open."

Benezia tapped at her arm terminal to give direction to the laser orb to cut away a large section of dirt then made way for the much larger cleanup orbs to dispose of the dirt and growth. She chuckled and said, "You know it's neat watching these work. I've never been part of an excavation from the beginning where these do a lot of the work."

Liara nodded, "I know, and it makes it so much easier. Can you imagine centuries ago when they had to do everything by hand? No, thank you."

They both laughed then continued to clear the door. After about twenty minutes of carefully scraping away dirt, they revealed a large door. Miranda wiped away the panel then blew the last remaining dust particles away. "Hmmm, the other doors were either already open or were fairly easy to open with the help of Gwyn's power surge machine, but this has a tech pad, and it's probably a biometric reader. Even if we power this on, we're going to have issues getting in." She said, then wiped away the lower panel and popped it open. Once it popped open, it revealed several skinny tubes and a few crystals. "Well, it's similar to the others." She said as she connected the power surge machine, then turned it on to find nothing happened. "Hmm… nothing." Then leaned in closer as she shined a light on the crystals and said, "This red one has some black marks on the inside. I'm going to say it's fried."

"Well, damn. Now what?" said Benezia.

Liara let out a breath that made her lips flaps then said, "I guess we call Gwyn."

Miranda stood, then placed her ear near the door and listened to the deep low sounds the door made when she pounded the side of her fist on it. "Oh, yea. That's not going to open without this panel, and even if we power it up, we're going to need a specialized program to bypass it. We could laser cut a hole in it…"

Liara shook her head as she quickly said, "Absolutely not!"

She laughed then said, "I knew you were going to say that. Call Gwyn to see what to do and have her send you a program to bypass a tech panel or worse a biometric reader."

Liara nodded as she tapped at her arm terminal to call her daughter Gwyn and waited for her to appear then said, "Gwynne, we have a power crystal situation and need your help."

"Oh, is my machine not working?" asked Gwyn

"It has for the other doors, but this one is different."

"Ok, can you show me so I can get an idea?"

"Sure." Replied her mother then showed her the small compartment of tubing and crystals.

"Hmmm, the same method as the other doors with the use of power tubing, but this one has three crystals instead of two with the tubing being sent to the display panel and the mechanized door. Three small crystals, a red, a green, and a white one. The larger one is the power source obviously, and the two smaller ones being the power regulation crystal and the other I'm assuming is a storage crystal."

"Ok, so what do we do?" asked her mother

"Hmm it's hard to tell but are those black streaks on the inside of the red crystal?" asked Gwyn

"Yes, Miranda made that observation when she was looking at it before I called you." Replied her mother."

"Ok, then my educated guess would be that it's burnt out. Send me a full snapshot of the red crystal, and it's dimensions. I should be able to fabricate a new one for you then overnight it to you."

"Lovely, thank you. I'm sending you the coordinates now, and I want you to use a drop drone service, not a person. One other thing, do you have a program that could bypass a tech pad or biometric reader?"

Gwyn nodded and said, "Not a problem, and I have something that might work, but it would all depend on the level of security they have on it."

"Send me what you have. Thank you, sweetie." Replied her mother then ended the call.

The next day Liara received her drop package from her daughter. She removed it from the box then removed the old red crystal from its holder and replaced it with the new one. She hooked up the power surge machine and smiled when the panel came to life.

"Now what? We're still stuck." Said Benezia

Liara grimaced, "Have faith, my child. I've bypassed panels before." She stood before the screen and gasped when she saw the lettering "Goddess above I can read this. It's a form of our ancient asari language, a language that is dying, and only a rare few keep it alive."

"What's it say?"

"It's asking for clearance." Replied Liara

Benezia rolled her eyes as she said, "I could have told you that without the panel being active."

"I knew that before I read it, but you asked." She said with irritation, then tapped at her arm terminal to start the program. "Well, thank goodness for your sister's program because this looks to be as if it's going to unlock it." She smiled when the massive door opened. Her eyes widen, and her mouth dropped open when she shined her light on the enormous white tree in the center of the dark room. "Goddess, that is a huge tree."

"It's oddly shaped with an extremely fat disfigured trunk. Oh, and look at those beautiful purple leaves. Did anyone notice this tree when we landed?" Said Benezia

Liara shook her head, "I surely didn't, but this area is covered in trees."

Miranda scrunched her brows when she heard outside wildlife noise then pointed to the ceiling as she said, "Look, we're outside." After they all walked through, she looked back at the closed door and said, "It looks like they concealed the door to blend in with the room…" Her words trailed off as her light came upon a laser cut door where a section was peeled back, and the opening wasn't grown over but looked to be cleared away. She quickly shushed everyone and shined her light at the hole in the other side of the wall then pointed, "Exposed opening. We might not be the only ones here."

Liara softly said, "Shay, take a crew ahead as we finish in here."

Shandri nodded, then called others to fill in as she took three security members with her through the opening.

Miranda looked around at the walls and ground then softly said, "This area is convexed. If you looked down from up there, you would think it to be sunken down, but they built around this tree to attempt to cover it, but they left it open for it to breathe." She waved her hand around. "This facility was built to flow with the natural movement of the land, and they applied a natural layer on top to conceal it."

Liara smiled broadly and excitedly said, "This is a portal!"

Benezia pointed to the large melon-sized stones around the tree. "Look a circular pattern around the tree and similar to the boulder portal." She walked closer to it and said, "But how? This is living, and the boulders were not."

Miranda eyes scanned every part of the tree and said, "Maybe it's not real but only meant to look that way." She shook her head as she continued, "But that wouldn't make sense as to why they built around it instead of enclosing it. This is very strange because the oldest trees on earth are between twenty-five hundred and five thousand years old."

Liara nodded. "Thessia's oldest living trees are around four to seven thousand years old, but this is way beyond that."

"Maybe the source of power is keeping it alive." Replied Benezia

"Well, whatever they did, they definitely did for longevity as this is supposed to withstand time, and it has." Replied her mother then looked around the room as she walked it "Where do you think the power source is?"

Benezia looked around then said, "I'm not sure. It's not going to be in the wall but on the ground somewhere." She pointed to a much larger stone off to the side and said, "That has to be it there."

Liara knelt down near the large stone and ran her fingers over it "Fascinating at how they construct these." As she stood, she said, "This portal is more easily accessible than Ilos and much closer to home. Now, all we need is a working unit that we understand."

"Even if we had one we wouldn't know where to go get dad," said Benezia

Liara dropped her head as she grunted: "Ugh, I know…" She tapped her earpiece when she heard Shandri come through "Mistress, so far nothing but until we get more light in here, there's no telling."

"Thank you, Shay." She said, then turned to the group, "They're not sure of the danger level until we get more light in there."

"The danger level can't be too high if they haven't shot at anything yet," replied Benezia.

"True, but before we proceed, let's get the area lit up. Nez, can you…"

Benezia turned toward the open entrance as she tapped away at her arm terminal. "Yes, ordering more equipment now."

-/

Liara pinched her brow markings as she carefully ran her hand over the mutilated metal door then said, "Goddess above, they must have worked on this door for some time before they decided to cut it open." She stepped to the side as her hand ran across the wall then knelt down as her hand slowly slid down the wall until she felt the slightest groove. Her fingers peeled away a panel to reveal more crystals and tubing. "The door activation panels are integrated into the wall on this side. This side probably opened with a scan of a card." She turned back to Miranda and said, "You're right about this room being concealed. It looks to be part of the outside, but it's all fabricated."

Miranda nodded then said, "To anyone that looked from up there or even came down here wouldn't have thought anything else." She pointed to the door as she continued, "Whoever did that knew the door was there, but how."

"They were obviously looking for something."

"How would they know that something was here? You know damn well an excavation team would have never done that. Whoever did that were probably treasure hunters."

They both turned when Benezia slid through the door and said, "They were something, but whatever happened here is strange."

"Are the lights up and strange how?" asked her mother.

"Yes, we just finished up. Whoever was here was here for some time, and they cleared away partial sections in several quadrants. If it were archeologists, then the entire area would be cleared, not just sections. I don't believe treasure hunters would have gone through so much trouble, but someone did."

"If not an archeologist or treasure hunters then a faction would have done this," said Miranda

Liara carefully squeezed through the large metal door then walked down the hallway. "Maybe they found what we were looking for, and we're too late."

"Maybe or gave up and left." Replied Benezia.

"Maybe. Take note of the areas that were already cleared, but I want the quadrants fully searchable as well."

Benezia smiled as she nodded, "I figured as much."

-/

Several months had gone by, and Liara was running toward a room her daughter was in. She carefully squeezed through the torn door and said, "What did you find?"

"These!" Benezia said excitedly.

Liara looked at the secure box that was in the floor with two wrist units, a small device, and a crystal. "Goddess, are those wrist units!"

"Yes!" she said, then bent down and placed her hand on the floor. "We never thought to thoroughly search the cleared rooms, but on a whim, I did a deep scan in several of the rooms. Then noticed that some of them had these hidden doors, but they were all empty except this one."

Her mother pinched her brow markings as she stared at the contents in the floor then said, "Do you think these were placed here?"

Benezia shrugged, "Maybe, but why would someone do that?"

"I'm not sure, but this doesn't make sense." She said, then bent down and gently removed the contents from the box and placed them on a nearby metal desk. She lifted one of the wrist units then the other, and said. "These two units are different than what we've found."

"Are they? How so?"

She placed one back down, then pointed to the one in her hand. "This one has five rings, and the one on the table only has three, but the one from Panthos, Nefrane, and Miranda's facility each had four." She looked over at her daughter and said, "What do you think that means?"

Benezia let out a breath as she shrugged then said, "I'm going to take a guess and say restrictions."

Liara gave a slight head nod as she replied, "Ahh, that would make sense. Only a select few have the ability to travel from galaxy to galaxy. Such as council members, maybe or Spectre type people. The others being restricted to their galaxy as to not cause havoc in others." She looked at the one in her hand. "But this one goes well beyond the others," she said, then set it down on the table then picked up the white crystal off the table. "Gwynne mentioned that these white ones are storage crystals."

Benezia's smiled then said, "How do we read it?"

She looked on the desk and grabbed the crystal reader and said, "This maybe?" She turned it around, then said, "But where does it go?"

Benezia reached for the reader in her mother's hand and said, "Here, let me see. You probably have to turn it on first."

Liara pulled away as she said, "Give me a second to figure it out." She pinched her brow markings as she looked the unit over, then pushed a tiny button on the side and watched as it lit up, then a compartment opened. "There it goes. Let's see what it says." she said, then placed the crystal in it.

They watched as a small holographic figure appeared before her. His skin was a light brown shade, and he looked to be very similar to an asari. Liara gasped then said, "Goddess above our proof that males existed."

Benezia's eyes widen as she nodded then said, "He's not blue though but light brown."

"Also, it proves that we were experimented on." She replied, then stopped when he began to speak.

_Hello, my name is Dr. Dhilren Taul'Soniane, and we are of a great bloodline, a bloodline that thrives throughout our massive universe. There are many great bloodlines in our universe and not only within the Unakra but other species as well. There is a prominent species out there, only known as the ancient ones, and we believe them to be the creators. Throughout our family's extensive research, we've learned that we were all created in the eyes of an ancient. Every species in every galaxy was created at one point and left to develop. They allowed us to evolve, to grow, and to learn, but they leave us with a challenge, that challenge being survival. Can we survive? If we all get annihilated, then they create us again and see if we'll make it through this time, and maybe our species name will change, and maybe it won't._

_They leave the portals for us to find, but they're no use without a key, and not all keys work in every galaxy. The portals at first were a beacon of hope, but in all actuality, they're not because even if you run, death is always waiting, whether it's swift or delayed. Each galaxy has its own major challenge, and even if you defeat them, then there's the possibility that they'll create a new challenge for the next group. We've learned that these major challenges in each galaxy arrive at different times. In this galaxy, it's every fifty thousand years, but in other galaxies, that time is much shorter, while in others, it's longer. We think the longer the time in between means, the greater the challenge, and the higher the possibility of complete annihilation. The shorter the time just means the cleansing of overpopulation._

_We believe that they're always watching, but you never know where they are or who they are. We think that these ancients are some sort of chameleon to be able to blend in wherever they go, and they have no need for keys to travel through the portals because they made the. We are unsure of who made the keys, and we don't believe it was the ancients._

_Our family has handed down this knowledge from generation to generation, as did many others. These crystals will help our houses to continue to move forward in order to survive. One day we will outsmart them and no longer be pawns in their game because we make our own future. Remember to always keep this knowledge safe because there are many that will want it and use it against us._

Liara stood silent for a moment to let the information fully sink in. She blinked several times, then looked down at the table then into the safe box then at her daughter and said, "There is only one crystal, but he mentioned several."

Benezia arched a brow marking, "You actually understood what he said?"

She just looked at her daughter for a moment then said, "Yes, I did, and it was an overload of information." She smirked then said, "He spoke in the form of our ancient language that took me a moment to understand, and I caught on quickly because it is very similar. The ancient asari language is only known by the higher lineages, and it's not part of the translator program. I remember my mother telling me that it was a language that must remain known even if it's just our family that remembers it." She pointed to the crystal as she continued, "If I didn't know it, then I would have never understood this."

"What do you think happened to the other crystals?"

Liara shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I don't think he originated from this galaxy, or maybe he did, and they left, but from the way he was talking, it was as if his family has traveled to many galaxies. He could be from the time during or before the Protheans or even before that. I just don't know." She looked over at the safe box and said, "If he didn't place these here, but instead, it was someone that found them, and maybe he only ever had this one crystal while the others were lost over time." She rose her finger as she continued, "No, he mentioned others and houses. This was his introduction to the crystals of many generations of knowledge. The crystals were possibly split up, so the information wasn't all in one location."

Benezia huffed, "Goodness, mom, those could be anywhere."

"Possibly, but for all I know, this is a copy of a copy, and it was placed in this galaxy as a guide. I did the same when I left the knowledge to be found for the next group just in case we didn't win against the Reapers." She lifted the crystal as she continued, "But unlike my message, this is useless without the reader and the knowledge of the language."

"So, this is specific only to asari?"

"Well, he did say to keep our houses moving forward. So, yea. I guess so." She rose a finger as she said, "He didn't say Asari, but instead, he said Unakra." She looked down then back at her daughter, "I think we are a modification of the Unakra." She shook her head as she looked off to the side, then said, "The machines we found. Maybe the Protheans didn't uplift us, but the Unakra did, or they both did. The Prothean I knew referred to us as primitives, but maybe what he meant by it was because the Asari were fresh out of an incubator, new and they needed to be taught and therefore primitive. What if the Unakra experimented on their own species or did DNA experiments to look for an improvement as the Protheans here were biotically advanced, and they wanted something similar. When the Reapers came, they left."

"Yea, but why only modify the women and not the men? And why not come back for them? Why experiment here and not wherever they live?"

Liara shrugged then said, "I'm not sure. Maybe they had an abundance of men and needed more women. Maybe they had too many women, and they were able to be taken away to be experimented on. Maybe the scientist who was working on the project died, and no one knew of it. Who knows because there are too many possibilities, and this is all hypothetical." As her mind wandered, she stared at the frozen holographic image then said, "You know what's strange?"

"What? Besides what you've just mentioned,"replied Benezia

"He said WE are from a great bloodline, and I felt like he was speaking directly to me, and his name is Dr. Dhilren Taul'Soniane. The last name means of house Soniane, and our last name is a derivative of Soniane."

She looked at her mother and noticed tears forming in her arms eyes. "Mom, what are you trying to say that he's a relative?"

"I'm saying that I believe that he was part of how we came about."

"Is that what he said?"

Liara shook her head, then said, "No, not exactly. He said we would make our own future. He spoke of ancient creators, but in fact, he is no better when he and whoever else created the Asari. We are of his bloodline, and the other major asari houses are from the other bloodlines. Hence why we are better equipped than the average asari."

Benezia pinched her brow markings as she said, "I don't understand. How can that be? I mean, this is like a one in a zillion chance that we would find ancient relatives in an excavation with this high of a confirmation."

Liara removed the crystal from the reader and clenched it in her hand as she slowly looked around the room and said, "This is too easy."

"What's too easy?" asked Benezia

"This!" She turned to her daughter and said, "Do you know how many years and different archeologists searched Panthos and never found anything worth documenting, but when we searched it, we found items. No one ever found the location of the "city" in Nefrane, then suddenly someone does and tells us of all people. Now this place and a wrist unit at each location that is too coincidental. Miranda was right; someone is leading us here, and I think I know who it is." She looked down at the crystal as she smirked: "She left this crystal for me to find."

"She? Who is she?" asked Benezia

"Elansy, my grandmother, and your great grandmother." She pointed toward the entrance. "The entrance we came in may have been untouched, but they came in by the tree."

"They tore open the doors?"

"I believe so. They tore an opening in the doors large enough for an asari or slender person to fit through. A large man wouldn't fit through there."

"That doesn't make any sense. How would she even know and why wouldn't she take the artifacts with her?" replied Benezia

"She must have something that can locate units and or portals." She lifted the crystal and said, "They searched the rooms to find the wrist units but not to take them but to leave this behind with this. She's also trying to tell a story with the locations that she's sending us to." She gently rolled the crystal around in her hand as she said, "This is her crystal, and it's been handed down from creator to mother to daughter since the beginning."

"Do you think she has the other ones?"

Liara shrugged slightly as she said, "I don't think so, or she wouldn't be guiding us like this. Or maybe she does, but she doesn't have the one that gives her what she wants. So, she needs us to figure it out and who other than her own grandchildren with unlimited funds."

"But why destroy every door?"

"To make it look like theft or just pure laziness." She said then looked down at the secured box. "Did you cut the lock on this?"

She scoffed and said, "No, it was already cut."

"See what I mean. This time she was just sloppy and must be growing impatient."

"Are you going to confront her about this?"

Liara let out a breath then said, "Goddess no, and I don't even know her or my aunt or where they would even be. My mother never really spoke of her, but from what I gathered from some of my mother's old crew was that she's much scarier than your grandma Hannah."

Benezia let out a hardy laugh, "Grandma Hannah was never scary to us." She looked at her mother and said, "You do know that you're scary to your crew, right? So, just how scary can grandma Elansy be?"

She chuckled then said, "Well, obviously, nowhere near as scary as you."

Benezia gently pushed her mother's arm as she laughed, "Stop."

Her mother laughed with her as she said, "What? You know it's true."

—/

Several days had gone by, and it was mid-morning when Benezia walked into the portal room with her mother. She looked down at her arm terminal when it buzzed, and she smiled when she saw it was her bondmate. "Good morning, my love."

"Morning? Babe, it's 1045, the morning has come and gone." She huffed then said, "Please tell me you've already left because if you haven't, then I'm going to highly irate."

"Left? I said I would leave on Friday." Replied Benezia

"Babe, it is Friday. So, you haven't left yet?"

Benezia pinched her brow markings as she said, "Uhhh is it? I'm sorry. I will... I mean, I am. I just want to do one last thing before I head out."

Mil grunted. "Nez, you say that then the next thing you know, it's tomorrow. Mom better not be keeping you, or I will make that short trip over there and pull you away myself."

She laughed, then turned to her mother and said, "Mil, is threatening us, and if I don't leave shortly, then she's going to come take me away."

Her mother laughed then said, "Please do Mil because she works much too hard and is in need of a break."

She smiled as she turned back to her screen and said, "Did you hear her? She said to come whisk me away."

Mili laughed then said, "I did. I have our stuff packed and ready to go. You better be on your ship and heading here within the hour, or we're going to miss the concert."

"If we do, then we can just stay in our room and call room service." Replied Benezia

Mil grunted as she rolled her eyes "Babe, seriously? You're the one that wanted to see them, and I got VIP passes you ass. I tried to plan a nice getaway, and everything is going to shit because you can't leave on time." She took a breath then said, "Just do whatever it is you need to do, and your sweet sexy ass better be here in three hours."

She turned her back to her mother then softly said, "My sweet sexy ass will be all yours, I promise. One thing, and then I'm out the door."

Her bondmate smiled at her then said, "Good because I'm wanting you badly."

"Nmm, as am I, my love." She walked further away from her mother and quietly said, "How bad do you want me?"

A broad smiled crept across her lover's face, "Oh, I woke up this morning daydreaming about that lovely wet and sweet tasting pussy."

She giggled then said, "Is that why you bonded with me and keep me around?"

Mili laughed then said, "No, but oh, the things you do to me drive my body nuts. I am restless without you, and you keep me calm. I miss you next to me at night and seeing you during the day."

Benezia smiled at her words as it warmed her heart then she pinched her brows for a moment "Restless? When have you been restless?"

"It usually happens when you're gone but more so lately, and I had this strange dream about you,"

"What kind of strange dream? Was it bad?"

She shook her head "No, nothing like before but it was bizarre. The white tree you found came to life and ate you. I was mortified that it did and you didn't even fight back but instead you just let it, which was strange. When I woke from it I felt this surge of helplessness and despair." She let out a breath, "I just miss you."

"Hmm that is strange. Aww, babe. I miss you too. I'll see you soon. Ok?"

Mili replied, "Ok, I love you."

Benezia smiled, "I love you too." After her called ended, she said, "Well, so much for what I had planned for today."

Her mother chuckled, "Your lovely getaway ruined your plans of playing in the dirt?"

Benezia laughed then said, "Yes, actually it did."

Liara smiled and said, "You remind me of me. There's always just one more thing to do and never enough time. Goddess, your dad, would always have to pull me away from it." She placed her hands on her hips and said, "What did you want to look at before you leave?"

"Oh, this." She said as she pulled the wrist unit from her pocket. "You've documented everything on it, right?"

Her mother nodded as she replied, "Yes. Feel free to take a look at it. I couldn't figure out how to turn it on, and I didn't want to push a bunch of buttons before Gwyn had a look at it."

"Did you put it on? Remember, Gwyn put that last one on Shay."

Liara made a face as she replied, "I was too nervous to try, and I don't think you should."

She let out a huff then said, "Come on, mom, please. I just want to see if it works or not."

Liara grimaced. "Just be careful. The last thing I need is Mili blowing a gasket because it injured you."

Benezia laughed then said, "Oh, please, I can handle my overprotective bondmate." She took a deep breath as she clamped the wrist unit to her arm. She instantly grit her teeth when she felt it release the chemical in her arm, and not much longer, the pain subsided. She pointed to the unit and said, "It has power."

Her mother walked over to her and looked down at the unit and said, "Now what?"

Benezia pinched her lips off to the side and said, "I'm not sure." Her eyes scanned over the unit and saw a few buttons on it then said, "Remember the one Shay tested?"

"Yes. It was two pieces, and this is just one."

"That's what I was thinking." She said then cautiously hit one of the buttons. Her eyes widened when all five symbols flashed on the wrist unit. "Did you see that?" she said excitedly as she looked up at her mother then over at the tree.

Liara responded quickly, "I did!" Then she looked over at the tree but didn't notice a change in the trunk of the tree. "Nothing happened."

Benezia huffed as she walked over to the stone power supply and said, "Maybe the portal doesn't work. The power supply could be dead."

"Possibly." Replied her mother as she walked over with her.

Benezia placed her hands on her hips as she walked back over to the tree and stood in front of it as she said, "Instead of sending this unit to Gwyn, just have her come down here. That way, she can look at the tree's power source."

Liara looked down at her arm terminal. "That's probably a good idea. I'll give her a call."

"You know I was really hoping to see something spectacular, and I'm highly disappointed" She chuckled softly "Oh well..." then leaned on the trunk and gasped when she fell through as if she laid her hand on a curtain that was covering a gaping hole.

Liara laughed as she was about to call her daughter then stopped when she heard Lindanux yell, "Nezzie!" Her eyes instantly darted toward the tree then at Lindanux running toward it. She looked around for her daughter but didn't see her then immediately said, "Benezia?" When she didn't hear a response, she rushed toward Lindanux and said, "What did you see? What happened?"

"Nez, she leaned on it, and she disappeared into it…I mean, she fell into it." She pressed her hands firmly on the spot where Benezia fell through, then said, "But it's solid."

Her eyes flashed as she quickly said, "What?" Then placed her hands on the trunk as she scrunched her face. Her breaths became quick as tears drizzled down her face "No...please no."

—-/

**Archeology Department at Armali University - 2315CE**

Liara, Miranda, Milizkia, Gwyn, Anna, and several others walked into the main Archeology meeting room at Armali University and sat down. Gwyn waited as everyone, but the two scientists made their way to their chair. Before the scientist began, she said, "Mother, this is Dr. Martin Hester and Dr. Priestna Beros."

The male human scientist was roughly five-seven with salt and pepper hair and brown eyes. He was clean-shaven and wore frameless glasses. The asari that was standing near him was a dark purple color, no markings, and blue eyes.

Liara nodded and said, "Thank you for coming. What do you have for us?"

Dr. Hester began his presentation, "Dr. T'Soni-Shepard, I want to show you our map of the universe that we have so far." The scientist touched the imaging wall and pulled up a map of what looked like a strange grouping of spherical webs of thousands upon thousands of strings.

Liara pinched her brow markings and said, "What am I looking at?"

"Oh…" He said as he pulled at the map and zoomed in, and as he spoke, he slowly zoomed out. "This is a giant supercluster called Laniakea."

"Laniakea?" replied Liara

He nodded as he clicked a button that showed an image without the webs but just of the many groups of galactic clusters. "Laniakea consists of many galactic groups." He gently swiped right then zoomed in on the image of the galactic group Virgo. "This is a galactic group or a supercluster called Virgo, and it consists of roughly nine groups that we can see." He zoomed in further and said, "Here is our Local group."

Liara blinked hard as she said, "I knew that our universe was massive but goddess we are but a mere speck on the board."

"Precisely and to give you an idea of that speck. Laniakea consists of over a hundred thousand clusters and is roughly five hundred million lightyears in diameter." He zoomed in to the Milk Way and said, "As you said, The Milky Way is but a speck in this vast, intricate network of galaxies, a cosmic web. From my years of studying this universe, I've come to realize that we are like a matryoshka, clusters within clusters within clusters of clusters, and just when you think you've found the end, there's another cluster of clusters. We haven't even scratched the surface of our Local Group that also consists of Andromeda and Triangulum, those are just the major galaxies, but there are several dwarf galaxies as well." He paused, then said, "Here's what's interesting. Why did the Andromeda Initiative choose seven golden worlds on Andromeda when there are several million planets near our own that we haven't even explored."

"I'm assuming it's because they wanted to be far enough away from the Reapers. Two-point four million lightyears away to be exact." Replied Liara

"Maybe, but the Mass relays don't extend out beyond our spiral. Even while traveling to Andromeda, they surpass numerous dwarf galaxies before reaching Andromeda." He pointed to Andromeda then slid his finger to Triangulum. "Why not Triangulum?"

"They obviously saw something in Andromeda that was promising besides Triangulum is further away than Andromeda and smaller than us." Said Liara

"Dr. T'Soni-Shepard, there are a vast majority of planets in our Local Group that are habitable than just these particular seven golden worlds. I mean just seven out of billions, let's be real here. There's something on these seven particular planets that they want."

"True, and that's very possible." Liara stood as she looked over at her daughter Gwyn then at the male human scientist that had been presenting and said, "Dr. Hester, I'm assuming that my daughter didn't inform you of why you are here."

"She said this had to deal with Andromeda and the other galaxies. I assumed it was referring to the initiative and thought you were questioning it, and that was obviously wrong."

Gwyn quickly stood and said, "Mother, I didn't want to fully inform them of what this is exactly until they met with you, and you approved of them knowing."

Liara nodded, "And you were right not to do so." She looked over at the scientists and said, "Let's see how I can gently slide your mind into this discovery of ours. Ok, let's touch on the Andromeda Initiative for a moment. They chose a cluster that is barely on the skirts of the Andromeda swirl, and she is twice the size of the Milky Way. There are no mass relays there, and they will never go beyond that particular cluster until a significant amount of time has passed." She smiled at the scientist then rose her hand. "Unless we provide that technology to them."

He scoffed, "How would we provide that technology to them from here, and there's no way to inform them of our survival or victory."

Liara smiled, "There's a way, and as I mentioned before, this gathering isn't to question the Andromeda Initiative but for something far more interesting." She looked at Vilio and said, "You see, my colleague has been to Andromeda and back."

The two scientists laughed, and Dr. Beros said, "That's a ludicrous claim even for you, Dr. T'Soni-Shepard…"

"Is it? I've seen this technology, and she's been through it. She has proof of this new world and a change in stars. So you tell me." She pointed to Vilio and said, "Show him what you showed me."

Vilio stood then swiped her information on the video wall. "This is what I've shown Dr. T'Soni-Shepard."

The scientists gasped as they looked over her images. "How? I mean, this can't be possible."

"Proof of the closeness of Pegasus and Andromeda constellation and the distance to Cassiopeia. These seven planets very well may be habitable for current local life, but to us, it would require terraforming or personal modification. The current colony that's there is living under an envirodome. The current planet's air is breathable to some degree, but they require air, water, power, and food to sustain. Now we don't know if the planet they're on is within the cluster our initiative took, but it is within Andromeda."

"We must inform others." Replied Dr. Beros.

Liara shook her head "No, this is my project, and we will not inform anyone until we figure out how the galactic relay works. If we can't figure it out, then there's no point."

"I thought you said she had been there."

"Vilio has been there, but it's the leader of the Obsidian Void that has come across this technology. We don't know how they activate this relay, and until we figure that out, then we say nothing. We don't know how many of these relays there are. We know where two working ones are, but for all I know, there's one on every planet, and we are all connected."

Dr. Beros smiled broadly and said, "Do you understand what this means?"

Liara smiled as she nodded, "Yes, I know what it means, and the possibilities are endless. How many more species are out there? Who built it? Where do they go? What lies ahead? What's there?" She looked down. "This is all exciting, but we must be cautious if there were Reapers here then who knows what's out there. We have our own enemies…gangs, mercenaries, hatred, greed, etc. We must assume that all galaxies have something similar, and we must not invite them back here." Liara pointed to the screen, "You see, whoever built these galactic relays are not who built the mass relays. From what I can see, it's a similar method of transportation from one relay to the next, but our mass relays only go so far. Each relay using a mass amount of energy. Energy conducted by eezo and dark energy. The galactic relays are similar but different, and they don't use eezo to power up. They use something different entirely, and it's much more powerful to be able to slingshot something clear across the universe." She pointed to her daughter Gwyn and said, "My daughter, Gwyn has been researching this portal system, and she believes with the help of an astronomer, it would fill in the missing holes."

Dr. Hester scrunched his brows, "How do we fit in?"

Gwyn tapped at her arm terminal then tossed several images on the wall. "Here, let me show you what they've found. This is an ancient wrist unit that my sister, Dr. Benezia, and my mother found along with several other artifacts that work with these galactic relays." She pointed to a picture of the portal they saw on Ilos "This is the relay or portal that opens when activated with one of these units." She pointed back to the wrist unit. "The wrist unit has several rings, and each ring consists of several symbols. The combination of symbols is what pinpoints the location or where to go."

A scientist spoke up, "So, you're dialing into the portal for your location. But those rings are too small to hold every location."

"Precisely, and you're right, but from my analysis on the wrist units and various calculations I've come up with a program on how these may work " She tapped at her arm terminal and pulled up a mock program she constructed of the wrist unit. "So, depending on what type of wrist unit you have because it seems there are variations that restrict travel. This program is based on the most recent unit my mother and sister found. This particular one has five rings starting from the center and then moving outward. As you make your selections, then you are provided options for the next ring and so forth. So, you select your galactic group, which would be our local group, then your galaxy, let's say the Milky Way, for example. Once you've selected those, then the third ring would possibly be the small clusters such as the Athena Nebula, then the next ring being the system such as the Parnitha System, and the last ring being the planets such as Thessia."

The scientist nodded, "Makes sense, but how do you know what's what?"

Liara spoke, "Well, that's why we've come to you." She waved her hand at her daughter Gwyn and said, "My daughter thinks these symbols are connected to constellations. Each symbol being a representation of the area, cluster, system, or planet. Once we know at least one location, then we can start to map out the rest, but we can't begin without knowing the confirmation of one location."

The scientist walked to the imaging wall to better look at the symbols. "You said without knowing. So, when Dr. Gwyndolyn gave her example, it was just an example, not a definite answer."

Gwyn replied, "Yes. I don't know what the symbol for the Milky Way is or any of the others." She tapped at her arm terminal and displayed the inner ring symbols on the wall as she spoke, "There are numerous symbols within the inner ring, and it's not just our local group or the Milk Way and Andromeda." She flipped to the next set of symbols, "Thousands upon thousands of clusters and who knows how many systems or planets." She tapped at her arm terminal as she spoke, "Now, what I do know is that there's not a portal on every planet in this universe because the calculations of symbols don't add up. I'm assuming where there's life, then there are portals, but some dead planets could have portals because at one point in time, maybe there was life there."

He nodded, "Makes sense." He let out a small chuckle and said, "Can you imagine someone or a group of scientists coming up with this monstrosity of a commuter network? How long it took to go from planet to planet and from galaxy to galaxy."

Gwyn smiled as she nodded, "I've already contemplated that and it's mind-blowing. The architecture alone is mind-numbing, and the idea is magnificent to bind everyone together. It eliminates time lost in travel as it takes microseconds to get to your location." She bobbed her finger as she said, "What stumps me is how did they originally get from galaxy to galaxy because you would have to start with the foundation then work on the intricacies within."

"Valid point." He pointed to the Milky Way. "So, let's say they started here then they made the long journey to Andromeda and built a portal then went to Triangulum and built a portal then so on and so forth. My assumption is they started with these three major galaxies and completed them then moved on to the smaller ones."

Anna rolled her eyes and grumbled, "No one fucking cares about this shit! Can you figure out how to map the portals or not?"

He looked at Gwyn then over at Anna as he cleared his throat. "Sorry. This is all very exciting. We will need time to compile the data, but as you already mentioned, we need a starting point. I mean, we could find one, but it could take decades or centuries with the number of calculations and possibilities."

Mil grit her teeth as she stood then stormed to the exit as she said. "I will get you a starting point."

Before Liara could say anything, Miranda did, "Mil, you know the risk, and it could unravel everything we've done."

She stopped before the door and let out a breath then said, "I have to." She turned with tears in her eyes, "My bondmate that I love more than anything is trapped somewhere in this fucking universe, and she's alone." She let out a ragged breath "What if she went somewhere with a harsh environment? Savage people? She went through with no protective gear and whatever food, water, and eezo she had on her. Unlike Shepard, she needs eezo to survive. How long do you think she'll last without it?"

Liara closed her eyes at the thought of her daughter then said, "She's a survivalist, and she will find a way."

"I know she is, but Shepard's been gone for five years, and he's on a known location. Jessie knows where he is, but we can't fucking get there because WE don't know! Nez went where?" she said as she shrugged then pointed to Gwyn, "Can you tell me where she went?"

Gwyn looked down as she shook her head. Her lip began to tremble as she began to cry, then squeaked out, "I'm sorry, but I don't know where my sister is."

"Exactly." She pointed to the imaging wall, "Millions if not billions of possibilities." She waved her hand at everyone. "None of you are tethered to anyone, but I am. If she dies, then I might as well too because I'm not going to live centuries in agony! I physically can't live without her, and the longer she's gone, the harder it is to cope. She's been gone for weeks, and this is where we are. He's over there talking about decades and centuries." She shook her head as tears streamed down her face "I can't go decades without her and definitely not centuries. I have to do something because this isn't going to cut it. You want a starting point well, that's Jess. I find Jess; then, you'll get your starting point." She said as she turned toward the door.

Miranda reached her hand out and said, "Mil, even if you do, your mother is not going to help you."

She smirked as she wiped her tears "I won't be asking." She said, then blazed her hand, "I'll be taking the information from her."

Miranda's eyes flashed as she watched her walk away, then turned to Liara and said, "This is bad."

Liara nodded as she said, "I know, and we can't stop her." She looked over at her daughter Anna when she said, "Mother, we may have an issue."

"With?" asked Liara

Anna jerked her head over at the two scientists, "Them."

Liara let out a breath "None of this leaves this room." She applied a large sum of credits on two chips and laid them on the table "You speak to no one about what happened here, and you tell no one about this project. Two million credits each for five years of dedicated time, and I will continue that payment if we go beyond five years. Credits are no issue when it comes to this project. A facility, the best equipment, workers, whatever it may be just ask. I need this puzzle figured out, and you two are the best astronomers out there."

The two of them smiled as they grabbed their chips and said, "I'm in."

Liara nodded as she said, "Wonderful. Get back to me when you have something."

—/

**Omega**

Mili tapped at her console on her ship when she heard a hail from the traffic control. "What's your business here?"

She instantly snarled, "My mother, Aria! Tell me where to fucking parking before I land wherever the fuck I please."

The man blinked several times and said, "Ummm, anywhere on the main level."

After her ship landed, she walked off in no disguise and stormed directly to the Afterlife. She walked beyond the people waiting in line and was immediately stopped by the doormen. Before they spoke, she blazed her body, and angrily said, "Open this door, and I will NOT ask again."

They instantly grabbed for their weapons, and she killed all four with ease, then walked through the door and to the steps that led to her mother's lounge. She looked at the men guarding her steps and said, "Tell her that her daughter is here, and if she refuses, then I will force my way through."

The men just looked at her, then one hit his com unit and said, "Aria, umm, your daughter is here, and she looks extremely pissed." He nodded as he replied, "Yes, ma'am." He stepped back and said, "She said to go up."

Mili walked up the stairs and towards her mother's office when she didn't see her sitting on her couch. The moment she walked through the door, and it closed behind her, her mother growled out, "What the fuck are you doing here? Have you lost your damn mind?"

"I don't care about the consequences, and you know why the fuck I'm here!"

"I told Liara I didn't know until it was too late!" She snapped

Mili let out a laugh then said, "Do you think I care about fucking product? Do you actually think I would risk everything for fucking product? No, I would risk everything for only one person, and that's Benezia. I'm here because my bondmate fell through a fucking unknown portal to who knows where and I want to know how the fucking thing works!"

Aria blinked several times then said, "What?" She paused for a moment then said, "Liz, I don't know how it works."

"No, but you know who does. Where is she?" Asked Mili

Her mother just looked at her for a moment then said, "I don't know where Jess is."

She scoffed, "Oh, bullshit! You direct her on what to do and where to go. So, don't lie to me. Now tell me where the fuck she is!"

"You think you can just storm in here and expect me to give up your sister?" replied her mother as she walked around her desk toward her, then stood in front of her. "I've had just about enough of your tone, and who the fuck do you think you're talking to!"

Mili rolled her shoulders and clenched her fists as her frustration grew. "I will not ask again, and you WILL tell me!"

Aria was standing inches from her daughter as she yelled, "You will not demand shit from me!" Her eyes flashed when her daughter suddenly grabbed ahold of her throat. Her hands grabbed on to her daughter's arm when her feet left the ground then let out a gasp when her back slammed on to her desk.

Mili held down her mother then instantly sent a blast toward Bray that slammed him against the wall. When she noticed that he wasn't getting up, her eyes came back toward her mother. "Last chance. Tell me where the fuck she is, or I will rip it from you!"

Aria was breathing heavily as she said, "No, and you wouldn't dare."

Mili flared her nostrils, then she squeezed tighter and watched for a moment as her mother struggled to breathe then slightly released her grip. She blazed her other hand and quickly placed it on her mother's chest when she saw her mother's hands biotically light up.

Aria tried to squirm when she couldn't use her biotics then said, "What the fuck are you doing to me? Let me up!"

"No, and I'm done fucking around with you!" She said then immediately plunged into her mother's mind and easily stripped through several layers of her security until she found where her sister's location was. When she was done, she exited her mind and released her mother, then headed for the door.

Aria gasped when her daughter exited her mind then immediately rubbed at her throat. "She'll be gone before you get there."

Mili slowly turned on her heel and said, "If you inform her that I'm coming, then I'll be back, and I'll take what I want from you again." Her lover's words echoed in her mind _you may be older than me, but I'm more powerful than you._ She glared at her mother and said, "You may be older than me, but I'm more powerful than you will ever be. No one will stand in my way until I get back what is MINE and I WILL get her back even if she is in another fucking galaxy!" She breathed heavily and said, "If I have to come back here because of you. I swear to you that I will wipe this fucking place out, and there will no longer be an Omega!" She stared at her mother for a long moment, then turned and walked away.

Aria swallowed hard as she watched her daughter walk away. When she was gone, her body began to tremble as she cried silently.

-/

**Sanves - Late 2315**

Mili landed her ship on Sanves then walked back to the cargo area where her sister sat secured to a chair and her wrists in biotic cuffs. She released her from the secured chair then pulled her up then pushed her forward as she said, "Go!'

"I'm walking!" snapped Jeserie.

Liara and Miranda shook their head slightly as Jessie walked passed them, then Liara said, "Are those necessary?"

Mili rubbed her bruised cheek and said, "Yes, they are, and believe me; she didn't come quietly or without a fight. It took every ounce of my being not to severely injure her."

Once they got to the tree, they all stood there, then Mili turned to her sister and slapped her crest as she said, "Open the fucking portal!"

Jessie curled her lip, then said, "Ok, stop fucking hitting me!"

Gwyn stepped forward and said, "Wait, wait. First, what do you do?"

Jessie shook her head "I don't do anything. Cam set it to match his, and I've never touched the rings. I just hit this button, and it flashes, then the portal opens."

Gwyn nodded then said, "Ok, proceed so I can document the coordinates."

Jessie pressed the button on her wrist unit then looked at the tree as did everyone else then said, "Umm... I don't understand. The other portals react somewhat; that's how we know it worked."

Mili curled her lip and said, "You did it wrong on purpose."

Liara quickly said, "No, no, Benezia didn't notice a change either, or she wouldn't have leaned on it." She looked the tree over and pointed at the leaves. "We didn't notice at the time when Benezia was messing with her wrist unit, but I do now. When we came in here, the leaves were purple, but now they're an auburn color." She leaned in to take a closer look and could see the slightest rippling shimmer across the trunk. She took a deep breath and carefully placed her hand on the trunk and watched as her hand disappeared through it then pulled it back out. "Amazing. You can feel it tugging at you once you've pierced the portal." She turned to the others and said, "Let's get suited up."

Gwyn quickly replied, "Wait!" then turned to Jessie and said, "You said the other portals. So, you know of other portals besides Ilos. How do you get back when you said you've never messed with the rings?"

"Oh, you double-tap the same button, and it recalls where you came from." Replied Jessie

Gwyn smiled and said, "Double-tap so I can see what those coordinates are." She looked over at her mother and said, "We have our starting points for the Milk Way and Andromeda. I'll get with Dr. Hester and Dr. Beros and start mapping the locations. It'll take time to figure out what is what, but we'll have something eventually, then we can start physically searching for Nezzie."

Jessie pinched her brow markings, "Nezzie? I thought you wanted Cameron or my dad."

Liara let out a breath as she said, "Miranda wants Cameron, and I want Shepard, but Benezia is lost in the Universe somewhere."

Jessie's mouth dropped open as she looked over at her sister "Why didn't you just tell me? I thought you were trying to dismantle everything we've done. I…"

"You what? Hmm? I'm supposed to just come talk to you like a normal sister when you steal from me. From us? Then you both attempted to kill Liara." Replied Mili.

Jessie quickly shook her head. "No, no, no, don't get it twisted."

Mil quickly snapped back "Don't get it twisted? I gave you everything! I took care of you, and you stab me in the fucking BACK!" She let out a ragged breath, then said, "You were supposed to be my sister."

Jessie looked down, then said, "I'm sorry."

"Would you've have killed me too?" replied Mili

She shook her head and said, "No, and we never meant for that to happen to Liara, and I told Cam that his idea to send in a clone was stupid, but he said he had it under control. It went rogue and attempted to kill Liara." She turned toward Liara and said, "We were distraught when we thought you were dead."

"What was the point in that anyway?" replied Liara

"He said you had information he wanted that was hidden somewhere at the estate." Replied Jessie

Liara grimaced as she placed her hands on her hips "What my mother has kept hidden away on my property is my business, and certainly neither of yours." She said, then glanced over at Miranda when she noticed that she arched her brow.

Miranda cleared the uneasy silence when she said, "Let's get suited up and meet back here. Gwyn, get started on that map."

Before Gwyn could walk away, Jessie said, "Gwyn, the recall coordinates only work once you go through the portal, not before."

Gwyn turned and said, "Makes sense. It records the moment you walk through. It almost sounds like a safety feature in case you need to come back quickly or don't know where you came from. The people who used this probably jumped from portal to portal and probably never used the recall function." she turned to her mother "Mom, what if Nezzie figures it out and just comes back?"

Liara let out a breath, "Let's hope it's that easy, and she does." She turned to Shay, "I want cameras in here and a permanent crew here just in case she comes back through."


	14. Truth Unveiled

Shepard Stories III

**Ch 14 – Truth Unveiled**

Xa'lorcean 2315CE

Shepard was walking through town late into the evening as thoughts rolled through his mind. He looked up at the starlit sky for a moment as he thought about his late wife. He stopped when he noticed his wife on the nearby glowing image wall as she was constantly being displayed around town. He walked up to her and placed his hand on the imaging wall then closed his eyes as he softly said, "I miss you terribly, and I will never forget you, but I think it's time I let you go. I've met someone, and I've been unfair to her with you so close to my heart and on my mind." He looked away when the image changed, and he stuck his hands in his pockets. Before he walked back to his apartment, he looked to the stars and softly said, "Goodbye, my blue goddess, wherever you are."

He walked back to his apartment and took a breath before he walked in and was greeted by his friends and Katarina, his Elemental lover. Kirre walked through the living room toward her quarters as she said, "Good, you're back." She thumbed her thumb at the Elemental "What's her face got here about ten minutes ago."

Shepard gave a lopsided grin, then replied, "It's Katarina, and you don't like her."

She rolled her eyes then replied with irritation, "Shep, I don't know her, and I don't speak her language to get a chance to know her. So, yea, I don't like her and won't until I do." She waved her hand quickly at Ty and said, "And it's not just me, Ty feels the same way. This Elemental comes here, and I'm trying to be nice, but it's like talking to a deaf-mute. So, I say to myself, why bother? On top of that, I have to keep my guard up because, for all I know, she could kill us. It's been months like that around here when she comes over, and I don't like having to be cautious in our own home."

He raised his hands and said, "Ok, I get it."

She shook her head then said, "I get that you're trying to move on, but she's NO Liara. Hell, she's no Miranda either. Why not just wake Miranda and be with her? At least I know what she's saying, and I trust Miranda." She pointed to Katarina, "I don't trust her or the other ones."

Shepard was taken back by his friend's irritation as she had never spoken to him like this before. He then looked over at Ty, who was nodding to everything Kirre was saying. He took a deep breath as he dropped his head, then said, "No one can replace Liara. I, of all people, know that, and maybe when we get back, I will wake Miri. I understand the caution and the language barrier but trust me when I say that she can be trusted."

"Shep, I came here as your friend, and in the beginning, we were here to do something for Liara. We started with that, but now it's all about searching for Noxrul." She shook her head slightly then said, "I don't want to sound like an asshole here, but this isn't our war. We fought our war and barely won. It wasn't right to give them hope by saying that Benezia would help them. You know damn well that Mili would have never agreed to it, or did you forget about her?" She pointed toward the window, "Our people out there don't want to be a part of this war either. We need to tell them what's coming, and we need to go home." She pointed to Katarina, "And they don't need to know where we live because you don't know a damn thing about them."

Shepard crossed his arms as he grit his teeth then said, "A lot of what you said is true, and I don't know their squad leader Danica's intentions. But right now, we're here, and there's a threat on our borders that could happen at any moment. That threat puts Liara's project on the back burner." He uncrossed his arms as he walked toward his friend, "You miss her as do I. This is a new world, a world Liara would have wanted to explore, and we can't continue until the threat is gone."

Kirre scrunched her face as she wiped her tears away and sniffled. "I'm sorry for being so straight forward. I feel like what's her face is trying to remove the memory of my late friend." She paused, then continued, "I just miss her and our family. We may not have been official family members, but Liara made us all feel like we were a part of hers. She did so much for us, and we were beyond grateful." She sobbed then said, "We failed her miserably, and it bothers me to this day that she died the way she did."

He pinched his brows as he frowned then walked up to his friend and wrapped his arms around her. As he pulled her closer and comforted her, he softly said, "Liara will always be with us. She had such a big heart, and she cared for all of you." He looked over at Katarina when she spoke cautiously.

"They don't like me, do they?"

Shepard took a breath and gently pulled away from his friend then spoke in Eroquin. A language that was bestowed upon him when Danica read his mind. "They don't know you. They also think you're trying to remove the memory of my late wife. They were close friends with her, and they're upset."

She gasped softly as she placed her hand on her chest and shook her head. "No, and I'm not trying to do that." She let out a breath then continue, "Jon, I love you, and I know you don't love me, but I know you care for me." She looked over at the picture of Liara on the nearby table. "Your wife was gorgeous, and I know I don't compare to her. I understand that you need time, and I won't rush you."

He smiled as he walked over to her, then caressed her cheek as he said, "I know, and I thank you for understanding and allowing me to grieve." He looked into her eyes and said, "I haven't been fair to you with Liara on my mind." He took a ragged breath as tears gathered in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I just loved her so much, and she was taken from me unexpectantly."

She placed her hands on his face and kissed his lips, then said, "I'm so sorry that she died." She put her hand on his chest, "I hope one day, your heart will heal."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "It will one day, and you're helping me with that."

-/

Shepard woke the next morning with Katarina naked in bed next to him. He smiled as he looked her over, then slid closer to her and kissed her shoulder. He gently shimmered his fingers down her side then over her hip, and he could feel her stirring in her sleep.

She smiled then said, "Hey, I'm beginning to enjoy staying here and waking up next to you."

"Yea? Why's that?"

She turned to him and said, "Because I love you and because your rugged, sexy, and you've become more intimate." She gently ran her fingers over the scars on his chest as she said, "Even with these, you're still sexy."

He laughed then said, "Oh yea? Is that why? I thought maybe it was the sex."

She chuckled as she slid closer to him, "nMm, the sex is out of this world." She kissed his chest as her hand slid down and rubbed his softness "and even better in bed instead of that dingy storage closet."

He moaned as she continued her rhythmic motion, then straddled him and rubbed herself on him. He looked at her beauty, and he couldn't help but think of his wife. The many times she looked down on him during sex. Her eyes as she focused on him, her touch, her taste, her moans, her breathy voice, and her kiss. He closed his eyes when she slid him into her wetness, and she began to rock back and forth. He laid there as he thought more and more about his wife and moaned as her breasts touched his chest and her lips kissed down his neck. He shimmered his hands up her back as he pushed into her, then kissed her shoulder. When he opened his eyes, it wasn't Katarina that he saw but his beautiful wife. He smiled when she leaned back, and her breasts bounced as she rocked. He leaned in as he placed his mouth on her breast, then sucked and licked her nipple then softly said, "I've missed you." Then moaned as he said, "Mmm, you feel so good."

Shepard gently laid her back and began to make love to his wife. Their moans filled the air, and when they released, his wife faded away. He closed his eyes in shame of what he did, but he couldn't help it. Why is he thinking about her more now? _It's because I'm trying to let you go, and my heart won't let me._

He turned and looked at the glowing woman next to him, and he gave her a faint smile.

Katarina returned the smile and said, "I love you too."

He pinched his brow briefly at her words, and she said, "Why that look?"

Shepard looked away for a second, then said, "I'm sorry." then sat at the end of the bed.

She jerked her head back as she pinched her brows at him, distancing himself, "I don't understand. You just called me baby and told me you loved me, and now you pull away?"

His eyes flashed, then he ran his hand over his face because he knew he didn't say that to her but his wife. He knew he couldn't tell her that. "I'm sorry, Rina. I was in the moment… I guess." After he said those words, he closed his eyes as he knew that was a dick thing to say.

She scoffed as she got out of bed and grabbed her clothes then angrily said, "So, you love me when you have sex with me and come inside of me? Is that it?"

He dropped his head as he ran his hands over his short stubbled hair and said, "That's not it at all. I'm sorry."

She jerked her clothes on, then shook her head. "I'm just going to leave," she said, then stormed out..

-/

A few days passed, then Danica and several of her crew arrived at Shepard's apartment for a meeting.

Shepard sat at the table in his small dining room and spoke to the leader of the Elementals in Armalian, and she instantly relayed the information to her crew in Eroquin. He could have spoken in Eroquin, but his friends wouldn't have understood, and it was their home, and he felt it would be unfair to leave them out. When Danica, the leader of the Elementals, read his mind several months ago, she also gained any language he knew.

"So Danica, when should we head through, or are we going to continue to search for Noxrul?"

"I think we should head through, and the best time would be at night when most are asleep."

Shepard nodded, "Ok." He paused, then looked at her left wrist and saw no unit. "How do you plan on getting us through with no wrist unit that you supposedly have?"

She smirked as she lifted her wrist. "My unit is cloaked." She said, then tapped at the unit, then it's lights illuminated. "See."

Shepard pinched his brows, then said, "That's different than the one I have. Yours looks more digital, and mine is more analog looking."

Her brow rose as she said, "Yours? May I see the one that you have?"

"Of course." He said, then reached in his side leg compartment and pulled out his unit.

She gently picked up the ancient unit and said, "This is very, very old, and it's an elder's unit. Only they have access beyond our galaxy." She placed the unit down and tapped at her unit. "See, there's no inner circle on mine as I am restricted within this galaxy. The ones that have units are also restricted to this galaxy or worse their system."

"Wait, if you're restricted here, then how do we get back to my galaxy?" asked Shepard

She gently jerked her head back as she said, "Wait. You're not from here?"

He shook his head and said, "No, we're from what we call the Milky Way galaxy, and we call this galaxy Andromeda." He looked at his friends then back at her and said, "We'll we think this is Andromeda."

She smiled briefly then said, "How do you not know your coordinates of where you reside? But we've seen people come and go."

He let out a breath as he pointed to the unit on the table and said, "Our galaxy is not accustomed to these units as some of you seem to be. My son and daughter re-opened the portals on our side as they have been closed, for I don't know for how long. I acquired this unit…" He cleared his throat then continue "…for my wife not long before I came through. She was an archeologist." He looked around at the confused looks on the Elementals faces then said, "A person who studies history through the excavations of places, old artifacts, and remnants." He pointed to the unit, "My daughter Gwyn was studying these." he smirked then said, "Knowing her, she's probably replicated this by now."

Danica arched her brow and leaned forward. "She knows how to make more and of this particular kind?" She waved her hand once in the air. "Has she mapped the skies?"

He shrugged and said, "My daughter is unique with the knowledge and skill of technology. She's very good at what she does is all I can say." He pointed to his armor, his weapons, his arm terminal, and a few other things. "She created all these items, and she's always trying to improve our tech." He pointed to his eyes, "She gave me these ocular enhancements not long before I left, but they weren't activated until recently with the help of my friends here."

She nodded and looked at his weapon. "Your blast pistols are impressive, and I would like to meet her as well."

"All my children have their own unique set of skills, not just the two you inquire about." He thought of his children then of Benezia. "But when it comes to power and biotic skill, my Nezzie ranks above us all, then it would be her bondmate Milizkia then my late wife, Liara."

"Yes, I saw that in your mind." She paused then carefully said, "These annulets can be difficult to use, but with the help of your Gwyn, it could be much easier to travel."

He scratched his stubbled chin then glanced over at his friends who gave him a look; then he looked back at Danica and said, "None of this matters if we can't get back through and I've never used it, and I don't even know how it works. We came through when someone else opened the portal, and only he knows how to get back."

She gently picked up the unit and carefully looked at it. She smiled as she rotated it then said, "Your unit is in good condition for its age." She pressed a few buttons, and the unit came to life for a brief moment. "Well, it works. So, that's good." She placed the unit down on the table then cautiously said "I can hang on to it if for you if you like."

He arched his brow then said "Nah, that's ok. I'll hang on to it but thanks."

She looked at the unit then at Shepard then back down at the unit and slid it to him "Well, hmm it ummm needs a handler and won't work without one."

Shepard picked up the unit and slid it on his wrist. The moment he clamped it to his wrist, the unit flatten then formed to his wrist then lengthen down the mid of his forearm. "What the fuck?" He looked over at Kirre and Teyr and said, "The other one didn't do that."

"Different versions do different things." Replied the Elemental

"Great, so now what?" asked Kirre

Shepard replied, "I guess we go have a little chat with Cameron."

Teyr was leaning on the wall as she looked out the window toward the portal. "He's not going to just give up the information easily. Why would he help us?"

"If I ask for it instead of demanding it, then he probably will. I'm not here to take this from him. We just want to go back." Replied Shepard

Teyr quickly grabbed for her binoculars when she saw several people come through the portal.

Shepard looked over, then asked, "Is someone coming through?"

"Looks like a whole crew, but I need a better look to see who they are." She placed the binoculars to her eyes and saw several people head to toe in black armor. She knew that armor very well then smirked, "Sir, I think Anna and Benezia have finally arrived. They have about fifteen to twenty people with them. Maybe more."

He laughed then said, "Your kidding? Shit took them long enough."

"Well, I'm sure Gwyn was the one that figured it out."

"I don't doubt that one bit." He said

"Sir, you know what this means, right?" said Kirre

He dropped his head as he let out a breath "Cam…"

"If she's here, then Benezia will kill him, and you can't stop her."

Danica stood and said, "What is going on?"

Shepard turned and said, "My family and their crew have just come through the portal. They are here for two things. One to kill my son and the other for me."

The Elemental smiled. "She's here? Your daughter Benezia?" she said then gave a quick glance at a few of her comrades, who gave a slight smile.

He nodded, "Yes." He looked over at his friends and smiled, "We should probably head their way before Nez tears through town."

Ty and Kirre nodded, then Teyr said, "By the time we get over there, they'll probably already be heading toward Cam."

"True. Let's grab our things and go." Replied Shepard.

Katarina looked over at her lover, then stood quickly and said, "Jon, we need to talk."

He looked back at her and said, "We can later. Right now, we need to get to my daughter."

Danica stepped toward Katarine and whispered, "Fix the issue and don't screw this up."

She closed her eyes as she placed her hands on the mid of her stomach then replied in a tone, "This isn't about you, and I know what you're trying to do. You want glory for being the savior of our people. You don't even know if they're going to help us."

"He'll help you and, therefore, us. It's in his nature to do good." She looked down at Katarina's stomach. "When he knows about that, then he'll have no choice."

—/

**Sanves, Milky Way Galaxy**

Liara stood near the white tree portal and fiddled with her gloves as she waited for a few others to arrive. She turned when Jess spoke to her, "Umm..Auntie?"

"Yes?" replied Liara

Jess looked down for a brief moment, then back up as she said, "Everyone will need some sort of antinausea. A couple because one just doesn't cut it."

Liara arched a brow marking "Antinausea? Why?"

Mil curled her lip as she turned to her sister and snarled, "You're full of shit!" She turned to Liara and said, "She's stalling."

Jessie snapped back, "Fuck you! I'm trying to help."

"Oh, now you're trying to help. Why? Because you couldn't have said this hours ago? You say it right before we go through. All of a sudden, your fucking heart is weighing on you. What's waiting for us on the other side?" Replied Mili

She shook her head, "Nothing is waiting. Well, there is always a crew at the portal."

Mili's hand fell against her leg as she scoffed. "See what I mean. Information you could have said earlier." She walked to Liara and leaned in. "We need to be ready the moment we arrive."

Liara nodded as she squinted her eyes at Jessie. "Why, antinausea?"

Before Jess could speak, Vilio did, "She's right, and I can't believe I didn't say something sooner. The fast teleporting it ummm severely upsets the stomach and mind. When you arrive, you're dizzy and nauseous. You're out of it, and it will put everyone at a disadvantage until it passes. And yes, a crew is at the portal."

Liara sucked her teeth then let out a breath as her nostrils flared. She hit her com unit and said, "Everyone the passing through is delayed until further notice." She quickly tapped at her arm terminal to call her daughter Riley and smiled gently when she answered, "Hey honey. I need your help."

"Of course! What do you need?" asked Riley

"It has just come to my attention that we need something for dizziness and nausea. What can we take?"

Riley pinched her brows as she replied, "Well, it depends. What is causing the issue?"

Liara shrugged, "We've gained entrance to the portal to find your father."

She smiled as she excitedly said, "Oh my gosh, have you? That's excellent news, mother."

"Yes, it is. I've been told that you experience dizziness and nausea upon passing through. I don't want to be at a disadvantage upon arrival. So, what can you recommend?"

"I'm assuming that the quick movements on the body are causing some sort of vertigo or just plain motion sickness. I'm not sure where you are, but any pharmacy will carry what you need, and you don't need a prescription. It'll be over the counter; just take fifty milligrams of Dimenhydrinate or twenty-five milligrams of Meclizine."

Liara arched a brow marking then said, "What would that be in layman's terms not medical, dear?"

She chuckled softly then said, "Umm… Dramamine is one of the names you should see on the shelf at the store. Just know that regular is Dimenhydrinate, and that can cause drowsiness in some, but it's very effective. OR you can go with Meclizine, which would be a less drowsy formula, but It may take a bit longer to be effective or not because it depends on the person."

Liara nodded. "Ok, thank you, dear. I'll call you back if I need you. Love you."

"Love you too. Be careful." Replied her daughter.

Before her daughter was about to hang up, she quickly said, "Oh, before I go. Umm, We could be gone for a few years, and I don't know how long this will take. Miranda, Anna, Mili, several of my top crew and I are going through. Gwynne is staying behind, and she has been informed of everything." She took a breath then said, "If anything happens…"

She shook her head slightly as she said, "It won't. I know you'll come back, all of you. You have to, especially you, because your our mother, and you hold this family together."

She smiled as tears gathered in her eyes as she nodded. "I'll see you when I get back. I must go. I love you."

-/

As everyone came through the portal, the sickness still hit several but not others. Liara leaned on Shandri as she groaned, "Goddess, she wasn't kidding about that nausea. Ugh, I feel like I'm pregnant again."

Shandri held on to Liara as she held back her own sickness. "I've got you."

"I need air." Replied Liara.

Shandri looked at the environment hazard level and air quality on her visor then said, "The air is clean if you must take off your helmet."

Liara nodded, then quickly removed her helmet and took a few breaths of fresh air. "That's better." She looked up and over when a tall red-headed soldier and several others walked over.

"Ugh, this is an unexpected visit. Who are you all?" Asked Stephen. "Wait." He looked back at one of the imagining walls with Liara's face on it then back at her "You're Liara T'Soni."

Liara pulled herself together and stood up straight and said, "I am, but it's Dr. Liara T'Soni-Shepard, and this is my crew."

"Hmm, you've never corrected me on that before, and you didn't come alone this time." Replied Stephen

Liara cocked her head as she pinched her brow markings and she said, "Before...alone? What?" She shook her head. "No, you must have me mistaken for someone else."

The man turned and waved his hand at the closest imaging wall with her on it. "No, I'm pretty sure that's you. It took me a second at first, but I know who you are."

Liara followed his hand and looked at herself on the imaging wall. "What in Goddess name?" She stepped towards it and listened to it, then turned toward Miranda and said, "What the hell is going on here?"

Miranda shook her head, "I'm not sure, but I'm sure we'll find out."

Liara stepped toward the red-headed soldier and said, "We are on a mission to find someone." She tapped at her arm terminal and pulled up a picture of her husband. "I'm looking for this man."

"Ahh, that's Spectre Shepard. He's not here."

Liara gave an eye roll as she let out a breath then said, "He's changed his appearance." She tapped at her arm terminal and pulled up a modification of her bondmate. "How about this? He might look something like this."

He cocked his head as he pointed to the picture. "Wait, wait, wait, that's Spectre Shepard? Wow. Umm yea yea, he's here we call him Handsome Jon." He waved his hand near his face as he said, "You know because of the nasty claw marks." He chuckled then continued, "They're actually pretty gnarly. If I say so myself."

Liara gave a faint smile at the name Handsome Jon then said, "Do you know where he maybe?"

He nodded then said, "Yea, he hangs out at the local bar with his crew. I would check there first. If not, then his crew lives in the nicer residential apartments on the southeast side of town."

She looked toward the town then back at Stephen and said, "Ok, and that bar would be where?"

He turned slightly towards the town and pointed as he said, "Oh, head down this main road can't miss it, it'll be on the right side."

"Fabulous, thank you." She tapped at her arm terminal and pulled up a picture of Kol Blackstone. "And this man?"

Stephen scrunched his forehead and said, "What about him?"

"His mother is looking for him." Replied Liara

Stephen laughed, then looked back at his crew and said, "His mother? That's a first." His laugh tapered off when he saw the serious look on Liara's face, "Oh, you're serious."

Miranda stepped forward and grabbed him by the top of his chest plate then said firmly, "You tell him…" she paused as she looked into his eyes then at his face. "Wait… I know you." She thought for a moment then said, "Stephen, what the hell are you doing here?"

He looked around at the armor covered soldiers then back at the person with the tinted visor in his face and said, "How do you know my name?"

"You were young when I went away, and I didn't visit often, but I remember my grandchildren." She paused as she removed her helmet, then continued, "How about now? Do you recognize me?"

He gasped then looked down as he mumbled, "Gigi..." He chuckled softly as he said, "You haven't aged one bit since the last time I saw you, and I was eight. They said you died..."

She looked at him as she smiled, then lifted his chin so she could see him. "It's been some time since I saw you last."

"Yea, thirty years." He replied

She nodded then said, "Sounds about right. Does he know who you are or that you're here? Hmm?"

He shrugged then replied, "I don't know if he knows, but I realized who he was a few years after I joined his crew. I could tell from his voice."

"What are you doing here? Why would you join a gang? I left you money." She said sharply

"My mother burned through it or kept it for herself. I don't know, but I never really saw any of it, and she definitely didn't spend it on me. She sent me away the moment she could to go live with my grandparent in Ireland." He let out a sharp breath then continued, "They didn't have much, but they did what they could, and I know she didn't help them. Then they died, and the bank took their home, and their land or who knows, maybe my mother took it for herself as well because they left it to me. Then one day, I received about ten thousand credits. I decided to leave Ireland and go to Alcazar because I figured there would be more work there, plus it was affordable for me, but even then, it was barely enough to live day to day. I found work where I could; I learned how to defend myself and tried to live life. When it ugh got bad, I joined mostly because I was hungry."

Her eyes flashed as her nostrils flared. "Are you telling me that your mother took the millions that I left for you and left you with nothing? With that money, she didn't provide you an education or shelter? She just left you to rot?" She scoffed then said, "That bitch. She'll hear from me, and I will guarantee you that!"

He looked off to the side and said, "I may look like her, but I'm my father's son. She didn't want anything to do with me, mostly because of him. So, yea, she left me to rot."

"You are a Shepard, and you sure as shit aren't an O'Donnell. Why didn't you seek out your grandfather Shepard?" She waved her hand at Liara as she said, "Or Liara. They would have helped you."

He shrugged, "I thought about it, but my mother always told me you all wanted nothing to do with me, and that's why you never came around. Besides, they're famous, and you can't just contact them out blue."

Miranda gave a quick side nod. "That is true."

He nodded, "Yea, and on top of that, I don't look like him or carry the Shepard or Lawson traits, so I didn't think you all would believe me anyway."

Miranda closed her eyes as she shook her head, then said, "I'm sorry." She looked at his towering height then said, "Well, you have the Shepard height. I'll say that much."

He smiled then laughed, "That's true."

Liara leaned into Miranda and said, "He'd have something else if it's true."

Miranda nodded, then turned to her grandson and said, "Whenever we leave here, you will leave with us, and you will have a life other than this."

He nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

She pointed to his arm terminal and said, "I want you to get on the line and tell him to get his ass down here because I'm NOT going to go look for him."

His eyes widen as she jerked him forward. "Now!"

He rose his hands as he laughed softly, then pulled away. He cleared his throat, then hit his com unit, "Sir? There's a woman here that says she's your mother." He paused as he listened to his response "Well—"

Miranda grabbed the man's arm terminal and tapped at the live audio speaker, "Get your ass down here! Right now!"

Kol jerked his head back when he heard her voice then stared at his mother on the screen. At first, he just blinked several times, and he opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

She looked back at her grandson and said, "Is this thing working?" She looked back at the screen and sternly said, "Did you hear what I said. Get down here!"

"I heard you. I just...umm I" he looked back toward where he had his mother's pod then lowered his head as he shook it as he thought, _Of course, they wouldn't have let me take you so easily._

"It's just what? Is this some kind of bloody joke? I thought I taught you better than this, or are you just out of your fucking mind?"

"Mom, I."

"Just get your ass down here. Double time."

"I'm coming!" He Replied, then ended the call.

—/

Kol drove up to the portal in his dune buggy and looked at his parent's crew standing there. His eyes came upon his lovely mother, and he was happy to see her but dreading the moment to see her again. The explanation he knew she would want was why he never woke her, or whatever it was he had. He didn't want to see the disappointment in her eyes when he told her what he's done. He took several breaths and exited his vehicle when she walked over to him.

Miranda stood in front of her son and said, "Take that shit off your face. I want to look at you, not some mask."

Kol swallowed hard, then tapped the side of his temple, and his mask dissipated. He didn't know what she was going to do but what he got wasn't what expected. He held back his tears when she immediately embraced him.

Her words came out breathless, "What are you doing?"

He closed his eyes when he heard the hurt in her words. He gently pulled away and took a step back then sat down in his buggy. "I don't really know anymore." He clenched his teeth a few times then continued, "You left me, and I was angry and hurt. I went down a road I knew you'd never approve of. I never expected to actually do the harm that I did. The theft that was just things, and I knew that it would irritate them."

"I understand you being hurt, and I get you were angry." She looked down, then said, "That anger is in your blood, and I'm sorry that I didn't think of the consequences of my actions." She took a breath. "Explain to me why you did what you did to your sister, your father, and." Her heart skipped a beat of the thought of Liara being killed then said, "...Liara."

He shook his head as tears drizzled down his face. "I have no explanation other than it got out of control. Anna pisses me off, and she always has. They don't know how to just fucking stay down. They just keep coming."

Miranda smirked. "That's how they are. You already knew that."

"I did what I did to them, and I can't take that back. I'm sorry."

"And Liara? You can never take that back."

He covered his face as he cried, "Mom, I loved Liara, and I didn't want that. I swear to you. I would have never purposely done that, and my heart broke when it did." He waved his hand at his town. "I remind myself every day for what happened."

Miranda turned and looked at the images of Liara in his town, "Baby, that's not going to make up for what you did."

He sniffled as tears drizzled down his face. "I know that you think I don't know that?"

She placed her hands on her hips as she looked at him, then said, "So why don't you explain it to her."

He immediately looked up and said, "What?"

"I said explain it to her." She said, then waved her hand at Liara. "She's there."

Kol stood up and looked over as his aunt. He let out a ragged breath as she walked over to him, "You love me so much that you wanted me dead?" Asked Liara

He shook his head as he met her halfway. "Oh my god! If you weren't in armor, I'd squeezed you very uncomfortably right now." He rubbed his chest, then looked around. "That asshole! He said you were dead."

Liara patted his chest. "Easy, he thought I was dead, still does actually. Everyone did."

"What? So, what the hell happened?" asked Cameron

Liara raised her finger. "Long story for another day. All I can say is Gwyn."

"Ahh. Ok, well...I was going to say it makes sense, but I'm still confused."

Liara looked back at the images of herself throughout the town. "You reminded yourself of the wrong, but you also gave hope to the others that came here. You used me as advertising?"

Cam closed his eyes as he dropped his head, then looked at his aunt. "I did, but I needed your help to get the professionals here, and they wouldn't come without your approval."

Liara jerked her head back, "My approval?" She looked back at the town then back at him. "These are my employees?"

Cam rubbed his foot into the ground as he cringed and said, "Yessss?" He sulked, even more, when he heard the disappointment in his mother's tone.

"Cam, what did you do?" said Miranda

He let out a breath then looked at his aunt. "We paid a significant amount of money to one of your board members, and she forged your signature for approval. She even comes here disguised as you to keep morale up."

Liara's eyes flashed as her face dropped then flared her nostrils. "We will talk about this more later, and I will get to the bottom of this. As for now, we are at a truce, and I need your full support on what comes next." Replied Liara.

He nodded, then said, "Of course." He quickly raised his hands as he stepped back when he saw Anna walking his way. "Hey, I know you're mad."

"Mad? Mad doesn't even fucking describe it!" hissed Anna

"I'm sorry!"

"Sorry? Your crew cut off my fucking hand! You almost beat me to death. You fucking asshole!"

Liara put her hand on her daughter's chest plate and gently said, "That's enough."

She pointed at him, "I owe you several hits, you fucking shit stain!"

"Fine, they're deserved but not here," he replied. He looked at both her intact hands and said, "Well, it looks like you paid top dollar on a replacement, and it seems to function quite well." He scrunched his fingers into a ball then flipped her off then into a ball then flipped her off again as he said, "Can you still do this? Yea? No?"

Anna's glared at him as she took a step toward him and snarled, "Keep talking shit and see if I don't shoot your fucking dick off! Then I'll ask you if you can still fucking get it up."

Liara waved her hands around as she said, "Ok, ok! Both of you knock it off."

Cameron laughed softly then stopped when he saw Milizkia remove her helmet then instantly scanned the area for Benezia. When he didn't see her, he turned then scanned the area again.

Anna noticed him freaking out a bit, and she smirked then said, "She's not here. So, you can stop pissing yourself."

He let out a breath and grabbed his chest. "Oh, thank god!"

—/

Liara and her crew walked through town covered head to toe in black armor looking for Shepard. Eyes were on them as no one knew who these people were. She walked into the local bar, and her crew scanned the building for Shepard but found nothing. They exited and made their way to the southeast side of town.

Liara stopped when her eyes got a glimpse of a man and a group of people walking down the next street over. Her heart told her that the man she caught a glimpse of was her bondmate. She hit her comm unit as she pointed down a path and said, "That way. I believe Shepard just passed by."

They quickly made their way back down the road they were on to head them off then turned down the path that lead toward him. When she made her way there, she instantly looked left, but she didn't him then looked right to see him standing off to the side of his crew, taking to a woman with light brown hair. She smiled when she knew it was him, but her smile faded when the unknown woman caressed his face then kissed him. She took a ragged breath as pain trickled through her heart at the thought of him moving on. She felt a hand on her shoulder then her friend spoke.

"Stay here and let me go talk to him. Just remember that he thought you were dead and it's been five years, ok?" said Miranda

She sniffled as tears trailed down her hidden face, then nodded "mhmm."

Miranda leaned in and softly said, "It'll be ok. I'll ease you in, and I bet you that whoever that woman is will be a lost memory when he sees you. Because she's not even on the same playing field as your beauty."

Liara let out a small chuckle then said, "Stop, and you're just saying that. She is pretty."

"Maybe so, but I can guarantee you that she doesn't give him an orgasm like you do."

She rumbled in laughter, "Will you just go." She said, then gently pushed her.

Miranda laughed as she walked toward Shepard. When she was about halfway there, she removed her helmet and yelled, "Hey there, Handsome Jon! What in the bloody hell have you done to my masterpiece that I worked so hard on?"

He quickly looked up and over at the familiar voice. His eyes widen when he saw her, then he smiled and gently pulled away from Katarina. He laughed then said, "Holy shit, they woke you; I can't believe it!" He walked up to her and lifted her as he hugged her the best he could in armor. "Damn babe, I missed you!"

She hugged him and quickly kissed his cheek then laughed softly, "I missed you too." She quickly glanced over at the unknown woman glaring at her. "Well, who's your friend?"

He looked back then set her down as he said, "Oh, uh Katarina, she is what the locals call an Elemental, but their species name is Eroquin."

Miranda nodded as she extended her hand, "Nice to meet you; I'm Miranda."

Katarina looked at Miranda's hand, and didn't reply to her, but instead turned to Shepard, "Who is she to you?"

Miranda pulled her hand back as she mumbled, "Rude."

Shepard looked at Katarina then at Miranda. "She doesn't understand you." He turned to Katarina and said, "I'll explain in a minute."

Miranda scoffed as she placed her hands on her hip. "Oh please, Shep, that's a universal sign."

Shepard gave a quick side nod, then looked beyond her and smiled when he saw the rest of the crew. "I knew she would come."

Miranda glanced back at the crew then at Liara, waiting patiently. "Of course she came. She's been looking for you for years. When has she never come for you?"

Shepard pinched his brows at her words, then said, "Nezzie? Where is she, and why are your helmets still on?"

He looked back when Katarina touched his shoulder and spoke in her language, "What is this? Who are they?"

"Umm, these people are my family and crew, as I mentioned before. They came looking for me." He froze when he heard her voice. He shook his head as tears gathered in his eyes then turned slowly as he said, "It can't be." His eyes darted from one concealed crew member to the next, then he saw her standing there in her black armor and helmet under her arm. All she said was one simple word, and that was _Lovie_.

He took a ragged breath, and everything around him disappeared except for her. His voice cracked when he spoke, "Liara?"

She smiled as she nodded then ran to him as he ran for her. He hugged her as best he could then kissed her passionately. He placed his hands on her face as he looked at her. "Oh my god! How? You were dead. I saw you."

Liara touched his face. "It wasn't me, my love but a clone."

He jerked his head back, "What? A clone? How? Zen said it wasn't possible because I thought of that." He looked at the rest of the crew then back at his wife, "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"No one knew. Not even me. It was all Gwyn, and her plan fell apart." She shook her head then said, "It doesn't matter; I'm here now, my love."

Tears trailed down his face. "I would have never left. I'm sorry. I'm so stupid. I knew something was wrong, and you tried to tell me, but I just didn't listen hard enough."

She gently wiped his tears away as she sniffled, "It's ok. It's ok." She scrunched her brows marking when she instantly felt cold. She looked down at her chest plate as her armor began to crystallize.

Shepard quickly turned to Katarina and said, "Stop!" then noticed she was in a fierce blue stasis then instantly looked back, but it wasn't his wife. His eyes darted over to the one asari holding Katarina and waiting on direction. He knew instantly that it was Mili and all his wife had to say was _Kill her,_ and Mili would do it. After what happened to his cloned wife, her crew would kill them all at the drop of her command. They had their biotics flared and others weapons ready.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his wife walk toward the Elementals, but her focus was on one in particular, and that was Katarina. She turned specifically to Mili for a brief second, and all he saw Mili do was nod. He knew his wife gave her direction mentally. He didn't say anything, but he hoped his wife wouldn't do anything rash, but he was wrong. The moment Mil released Katarina, Liara struck quick as a snake. First, it was Katarina, and it was quick as she ripped through her mind for information. She dropped her when she was finished then went straight for Danica.

Shepard's eyes flashed at how fast she moved then noticed his wife rippling in anger as she gripped Danica. There are a few things he knew that would infuriate his wife to the point that would put her in a rage. What Danica did to him was one of those things. He hurried over to his wife and said, "Lia, stop."

Liara looked back at him with rage-filled eyes, and she fumed, "She invaded your mind and stole EVERYTHING! I want one good reason why I shouldn't kill her now."

He opened his mouth then closed it then said, "I don't have one that you would consider acceptable for what's she's done, but she does know a lot about these wrist units. Information that you would want."

Liara looked back at Danica then back at her bondmate and plainly said, "I don't need her alive for that."

He dropped his head as he knew she could just take the information she wanted. "You're right, but let's try and be civilized."

She huffed then said, "I won't kill her, but I will do the same to her that she did to you." When she was done with her, she released her then sent an angry biotic blast at all of them that threw them back.

He looked over at the Elementals bodies lighting up as they began to get up. He stood between them and his crew and said, "Enough." He turned to the Elementals and said, "Don't, or she will kill all of you. Please." He looked back at his crew standing ready to fight, but he noticed someone was missing, and that was Benezia. He knew she would be blazing red and would have been the first to react to protect her mother, and it wouldn't have been a stasis either. An attack toward her family, even with a simple freeze that happened to his wife, would have meant death for that person, but there was no sign of his daughter.

The Elementals stood cautiously, then Danica said in Eroquin, "You bitch. You'll pay for that."

Shepard looked her way but didn't say anything, but his wife was quick to respond, and in Eroquin, "Do you think your memories are the only thing I took? I like to call myself a linguist, but I can learn by taking just as you have." She engulfed herself in a fierce blue, and her body elevated off the ground. She flicked her wrist at Danica and lifted her into the air as she squeezed her then growled, "You dare to threaten me when you know of my power. You forcefully read my bondmate, and you stole his memories…our precious memories. What you clearly failed to read in just over a century's worth of our time together was…well… ME. I can and will remove your head from your body at any point that I see fit!"

Shepard's mouth dropped open at his wife's increased biotic power and sheer anger then quickly said, "Lia, let's not start a war between the Eroquin and us. Calm down."

She glared at Danica as she squeezed tighter "You are damn lucky that he's here instead of my instigator because if she were, then I'd kill you now! Or worse, I'd let her kill you in the vilest possible way she could think of." She held her in a tight squeeze as she lowered herself to the ground then tossed her into her crew like a rag doll.

Shepard's brows shot up then said, "Lia?"

She took several heavy breaths then glared at him, "Jon, I know everything."

His lips flapped as he let out a breath then said, "Lia, we need to talk about that. Ok? Katarina has been my lover for a while."

"I know. I saw," she said coldly

He grabbed her arm gently "Stop. You were dead, ok. I'm not at fault here, and neither is she. Let it go."

Liara looked away then said, "Let it go? It's not that simple. She hasn't told you, and her situation makes this much more complicated."

He looked back at Katarina then back at his wife. "What?"

Liara sternly replied, "I'm not sharing you with her regardless of your child that she carries. Your sexual relationship with her ends now."

He blinked several times then looked back at Katarina then back at his wife. Before he could say anything, she raised her finger and harshly said, "Also, their war is NOT our problem."

Shepard just looked at his wife then said, "Who are you? My wife used to have a heart. She would want to help these people, but instead, you refuse out of jealousy and anger."

She scoffed as she crossed her arms. "Out of jealousy and anger? No, and the main reason I refuse is that I don't want to put our family in danger. Lovie, it's not just this planet with Noxrul but several planets. There's thousands upon thousands of them and only thirty of us. None of these species really want to fight them, but instead, they'd rather cower and wait for it to pass. They have built underground and above ground fortresses in preparations for this. So don't think that they're at a complete disadvantage." She looked over at Danica then back at her bondmate. "She didn't disclose everything, did she? What they want is an escape from this…" She snapped her fingers as she said, "…constant feeding after feeding after feeding after feeding."

"The Noxrul used to awaken every couple thousand years or so when the population was smaller and more primitive. At the time, the Noxrul took fewer people because there were fewer of them to feed. As time went on and the populations grew and became more advance, then the Noxrul awoken sooner and sooner. As the galaxy's population grew, so did the Noxrul's to account for it. Some species caught on and adjusted their population by making the rule of one child per family, but it wasn't enough as not everyone listened. Others accounted for the growth and eliminated the elders that reached a specific age; again, not everyone listened. Now, most just offer up the sick and the elderly to the Noxrul first. The problem is that it's too late to stop the trend that the Noxrul have already accounted for. You see, now they awaken every hundred years, but the difference between the Reapers and Noxrul is that the Noxrul seem to be an actual species. Who are we to make them extinct?"

"The Eroquin have recently been traveling from planet to planet, hoping it's outside the range of the Noxrul, but they have no clue where the Noxrul are, and their ships can only go so far without a Mass Relay. What she failed to tell you was that they are about as clueless as we are on how these wrist units work entirely. She was honestly hoping you knew, but you didn't. Most of the species that have them were because they were handed down from their ancient ancestors. Some were lucky to have a guide on how the unit functions but none of them know how you get from one location to the next or the addresses of the portals." She pointed toward the portal. "She couldn't wait for you to give her the coordinates on where you came from. Especially when you were clueless about what Noxrul were."

"Her mission is to locate the queens, find a way out, or to find the mythical flaming one which they now believe is Benezia. She hit the jackpot when she found this place, our people, and you. What she doesn't know is that every galaxy has its own Reapers or Noxrul. We were fortunate enough to defeat our galactic enemy when the many before us couldn't. The difference here was our galaxy had more time in between to grow and develop but with a greater chance of complete annihilation. Their cycle is more frequent, and they're constantly focusing on how to prepare for the next feeding. The constant interfering cripples them on faster technological growth. Also, why she is so interested in Gwyn." She chuckled then said, "She was going to attempt to capture Benezia and use her whenever they needed her." She looked around at her crew when they started laughing, "Which we all know that would have never happened. When you told her of what Gwyn could do, then she was going to take her as well." She turned and looked at Danica and said, "Again, that would have never happened."

Liara pointed to Katarina. "Her mission was you, but she fell in love with you. She was to keep you occupied, to gain your trust, so on and so forth. Oh, she fooled you, lovie, with her innocent I don't know his language, but she does, and she was a spy. Their leader here has read most species in this part of the galaxy and has gained the knowledge of numerous languages. She acquired your language from others in this town before you even arrived then bestowed it to her crew. They stand back, and they listen to acquire information because people think that they can't understand them when, in fact, they can."

She turned and looked at her bondmate then said, "So, out of jealousy and anger? No, that's not it at all." She pointed to the Elementals "Instead of being forthright, they chose to be deceitful. So, I ask you with what you know now, would you still help them?"

He furrowed his brows as he looked back at Katarina then looked away. He shook his head, then said, "I was a fool in befriending them when they weren't honest with me." He let out a breath then continued, "Is it our right to kill off a species? No, but it is our duty to help where we can."

"My heart is always my family, and they will come first before any outsider. I know you want to help them, and I would like to despite their deceit, but there's not enough of us." She pointed to Mili then herself, "Could we kill a large chunk of them? Yes? A significate amount more if we had Nezzie."

He looked around at his crew then said, "IF? Where is Benezia?"

She closed her eyes as she lowered her head and took a ragged breath, "Lovie, Nezzie's gone."

His breath instantly got stuck in his throat as he shook his head. Liara quickly replied, "No, she's not dead. I mean, she umm fell through the portal when she was testing a wrist unit, and I don't know where she is."

"Good lord, Liara! She could be anywhere. When did this happen?"

"I know and umm, about a month ago. Gwynne is desperately trying to find her. We have a crew working on it night and day with calculations and possibilities." She looked toward Mili then back at Shepard. "Mili is losing her mind about the whole situation."

He let out a breath, "I told them that Benezia would possibly help them."

"Why would you agree to something like this?" Replied Liara

"I didn't agree to it! I said I would help if she agreed to it. Knowing Nez, I knew she would probably want to, but I didn't think of Mili at the time or anyone else."

"Jon, we can't be the ones to make this decision. Everyone needs to agree, but without Nezzie, I don't know what are chances are. During our war, we had an entire galaxy to help fight, but most of these people don't want to. So why should we risk it?"

He gently touched her arm and said, "Because you know it's the right thing to do." He smiled then said, "Besides, I know you're dying to explore this galaxy, and we can't with the current threat."

She gave a lopsided grin, then replied, "Very true."


	15. The Encounter

Shepard Stories III

**Ch 15: The Encounter**

Bode’s Galaxy 2315CE

Benezia traveled faster than the speed of light. Faster than her frigate had ever gone, even through the Mass Relay. Everything around her was blurry; then, she suddenly came to a halt. She rolled after she fell to the ground, then instantly expelled the contents in her stomach. She grabbed her head as she thought, _Woah, what a rush._ Her eyes took a minute to focus, and she attempted to look around, but it was dark. Benezia knew she fell through the portal as she wasn’t in the facility anymore, but her question was, _Where the hell was she?_ She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand then flung her hand toward the ground. She closed her eyes as the spinning began to slow, then she hit her com unit “Mom?” but received no answer then clicked it again “Mom?” When she didn’t receive a response, she quickly tapped at her arm terminal and noticed she had no communication and no extranet. She let out a breath _Fuck!_ She thought for a moment, and her bondmate Milizkia came to mind and closed her eyes to set out to find her, but there was nothing. She pinched her brow markings. _I can usually reach her anywhere in our galaxy, so I know I’m no longer in the Milky Way. So, where the hell am I?_ She looked at her wrist unit, then at the tree portal, and it was nearly the same as the other. _Interesting._ She looked around and noticed a large clearing as if there was room for people or larger items to come through, or maybe it was for transport landing.

Benezia stepped back as she looked at the gigantic tree, then placed her hand on the trunk, but it was solid. _Think! How do I get back?_ She stared at her wrist unit as she remembered how the symbols flashed on the rings. _Ok, I touched this button here, and it gave me these coordinates, which brought me here._ She scratched the side of her crest as she continued to look at the wrist unit. _So, how do you bring up the coordinates to go back?_ She groaned as she shook her head, then mumbled, “I’m fucking screwed.” Then scorned herself, “Oh yea, let’s lean on an active portal, dumbass.”

She turned then immediately hid in the nearby brush when she heard several weapons, loud monstrous noises, and horrible screaming off in the distance. Her eyes darted through the dense trees for anything, but she couldn’t see a damn thing as her eyes were still adjusting to the darkness. The instant she heard a sound, her eyes shifted in that direction, and she saw several silhouettes cautiously emerge. Her eyes squinted to try and get a better view of them, but it was too dark to see at the distance they were standing.

She could tell these were soldiers of some kind as their bodies were covered in some type of armor, but they weren’t wearing helmets, and it looked as if they had weapons. _Were they looking for her_? _Did she trigger an alarm?_ She observed them as they moved through the woods as quietly as they could, and it seemed as if they were scanning the entire area as they moved. They were definitely spooked by something. Her eyes shifted when she thought she saw something move in the trees, but she couldn’t tell. She blinked, then she saw one of the soldiers suddenly disappear into the night by a quick orangy-red strike. One of the soldiers turned back and noticed his comrade was missing and instantly drew his weapon. His hand was shaking as he pointed his weapon into the darkness as he spoke unknown words.

She froze when she heard nearby shuffling of brush, deep heavy breathing, and it instantly took her mind to the Onikuma. Her head slowly turned as she could tell it was close, real close. She tried to focus on the creature’s breathing; then, she could see the blur. Whatever it was, it was using a cloaking device, but it wasn’t nearly advanced as the one she uses or the other’s she’s seen. She held as still as she could possibly be, but she knew if it was an animal that it could probably smell her. There was one of two choices it was going to make, and it was either going to strike her first or the men. At this point in her life, she knew she could beat that Onikuma with ease, but fear hit her in that current situation. She didn’t know where she was if she was ever going home, what this thing was, who those men were or what was going on. The fear wasn’t the beast or the men but the lack of eezo, and at what point would she deplete hers and starve her body of what it needed.

Benezia didn’t react first because she wanted to be sure it was going to attack her, and she didn’t want to give away her position. Suddenly the beast leaped from the bushes toward the men, and she knew that she only had a fraction of a second to respond if she wanted to help them. Its tail raised as it glowed orange, and it was about to send it forth to pierce one of the men. In that fraction of a second, her heart told her that she needed to help these men. She carefully emerged from the brush as she held the massive beast in a biotic hold and attempted to speak with it telepathically. She was able to do this when she trained her varren and an ability she had been practicing for years. It tends to work on the few creatures she tested it with that had some sort of powers. She also knew how to take and dominate a person’s mind with ease. The beast had to have been eight to nine feet tall with massive broad shoulders, practically no neck, and a blockhead. His tail dangled behind him and became a hot flaming weapon when it needed it to be.

She cocked her head slightly as she focused on him and said, “What is the meaning of this?” When he didn’t answer, she walked closer and placed her hand on him, then said again, “What is the meaning of this?”

The beast turned toward her, and his eyes quickly flashed. “Ahh, I thought I smelled someone different here. So, the ancient stories of the goddesses are true. Why have you decided to return after such a long time?”  
  
Benezia released her biotic hold on him as she quickly scrunched her brow markings then replied, “Return? I do not know of what you speak of.”

The beast focused on her for a moment as he grunted. He slowly bent down and smelled her, then his tongue slithered out and tasted the side of her face. “Yes, you are not from here. You taste similar to these types but yet different, and…” he sucked on his tongue for a moment then said “…there’s something…unique… no it’s old. I’d have a better reading with the taste of your blood.”

She jerked her head from his tongue, then wiped the side of her face. “I am no goddess, and you will not be getting a blood sample from me!”

“Not a goddess? Interesting, but you match the colors of the ancient goddesses.” replied the creature.

Benezia looked at the creature for a moment as her brain was trying to comprehend what he was saying, then said, “Where did they go?” She looked back at the men then at the sky when she noticed a burning red glow. Several meteor-type streaks scorched the sky, and she waited for the ground to rumble from impact, but there was nothing, and there was no sound. “What is going on here?”

He stared at her for a brief moment, then replied, “You honestly don’t know?”

She cocked her head, then placed her hand on his arm. “Would you care to fill me in?”

He grunted as he looked behind her at the soldiers then back at her. “From what we’ve been told time and again over the years is this. The goddesses were here long before time could tell, after countless years of what seemed to be a never-ending war between our species and many others. One amazing individual sought out peace, and she convinced other rulers of the same. The goddess Zylona is the only one of your kind that we hold on high in our records. There was an understanding between leaders by someone like yourself who could speak with us as others could not.”

“If this war started before time could tell, then how do you know about what occurred?”

“Our history and knowledge are passed down from generation to generation. There is no clear understanding of exactly how the war came about but from what we were told in our historical archives. These worlds were ours, and then suddenly, these strange species invaded our worlds, annihilated most of us, and took what was ours. These goddesses convinced other species to act against us when we were peaceful before your arrival. Your goddesses ruined our lives. Now we come every hundred years or so to alleviate the numbers.”  
  
“Alleviate the numbers?”

He laughed, “Yes, our focus are the females of these worlds as they cannot reproduce without them. This world fights over their women as each time we attempt to take more and more of them. They are dwindling in numbers as there are not enough females amongst them.”

She nodded, then looked into the dense trees and brush for a moment, then replied, “You say goddesses and not gods. Why not the men?”

He smirked, “We never understood that, but I’m sure there was purpose in it.” He jerked his head at the men standing nearby. “You see, the ones that remain are the decedents of the soldiers, servants, and poppers of your kind and all the ones without powers. Their skin colors told you where you belong in their society. Vibrant colors such as yourself were always goddesses or rulers of some kind, and every other color was beneath them.”

She pinched her brow markings as she looked off to the side and thought about what he said then the message that her mother played. _Were they killed off, and Taul’Sonaire tried to replicate the goddesses in the Milky Way?_ She smirked as she thought of her mother. _Mom would love to hear this._

“Did you all kill the goddesses?”

“No, well… it’s been told that we did kill a few, but they were highly guarded, and even if we were able to get to them, they could kill several of us easily. So we didn’t tempt it very often. I’m assuming the goddesses left or were killed by your own because they were all gone one day. Which was good for us but ignorant for your kind.” He looked beyond her, then said, “You see, these people are greedy and selfish. Even when the goddesses were here, they wanted us dead, and they claimed this world for their own when it was ours. We could have shared, but they didn’t want to. You see, there isn’t “land sharing” between them and another species; they wanted it all for themselves. As the years went by, even the goddesses fought over the land as to who got what.”

Benezia arched a brow at the similar story of how their lands were once divided and ruled. She didn’t respond but let him continue.

“We may be bigger and stronger, but we were no match against their goddesses. Without breaking a sweat, they could flick their wrists and kill twenty of us at a time. This is the only world we struggled with war after war. The other species on the other worlds continued to fight, but their strength and power were never as this world.”

“Again, why not just eradicate them all for what they’ve done?”

“I think at this point in time; it’s more of payback than conquering. We no longer see it as war as we’ve found a planet that is suitable for what we need to survive.”

“So, even if there was peace, you wouldn’t take it?”

He let out a breath. “It’s not my choice to make, but I would say peace is no longer an option. Because we’ve moved on from peace as this is no longer war but a hunting ground.”

She removed her hand from the creature, and he stood there in a daze for a moment. He blinked several times then shook his head. His anger rose as he snarled, “What did you do to me?”

“What was necessary.” She replied, then looked into the trees behind him. She knew something was there but wasn’t sure what or how many.

The creature’s body illuminated as it let out long heavy breaths, and it could have killed her with a timed slash through her body, spilling her insides everywhere. A smile slowly crept across her face as she knew that’s what it was probably thinking but wasn’t expecting what came next. Her movements were swift as she pierced through the creature’s jaw and into its head with her golden spear. As the beast in front of her fell to the ground, two more leaped from out of nowhere. She quickly launched her golden spear into one of their hearts, and the sheer force of the impact slammed his dead body into the nearby tree. 

The other’s tail lifted as it lit into a fiery orange glow and zipped toward her. She dashed out of the way

as her sword appeared in her hand, and as she dashed again, she removed his piercing tail with a timed swipe. The creature bellowed as green blood spewed from his severed tail. Benezia forced him to the ground with her biotics and squeezed him as she walked up to him. “You all will not hunt this world while I am here!”

He took a labored breath then said, “A lonely goddess can not kill us all.”

She smiled at his words, “Your challenge is accepted.” She replied, then placed her glowing red hand on his heart and consumed whatever power he had. When she was done, she pierced his heart, then quickly removed her sword and flung the blood off it. She extinguished her biotics as she glanced toward the trees and heard rustling and retreating footsteps.

After she felt the area was safe, she looked at her hands as she could feel his consumed power burning through her veins as it made its way into her body. She closed her eyes as she allowed her body to adjust to this new power. Her body gave off a small shiver after adjusting, and she smiled. _Well, not what I expected, but whatever this is will do quite nicely as a supplement to what I need._

She clenched her fist as she stared at her arm, then ran her finger down it, and a fiery orange streak appeared. _Hmm, interesting_. She quickly patted herself and felt a vial and mumbled, “I need a sample.” She turned toward the dead creature and knelt down behind it to gather a blood sample. When she was finished, she carefully peeked over the creature toward the men nearby and smirked. _I’m surprised they’re still there._ She wiped the blood from her terminal and noticed the time. Everything that happened was in the matter of a few minutes.

—/

The young man was terrified as the beast silently leaped from the darkness. He knew his death was going to be swift as his weapon and his remaining comrades’ weapons alone were no match against this beast. He looked over at his friend that was limping, then down at the gash in his leg, and he knew that even if he was able to get away, the crawlers could track them quicker with open wounds.

He jumped when something else dashed from the bushes, but it wasn’t a beast; it was a slender woman with a red glow. He didn’t know whether to shoot her, warn her, or attempt to save her. She moved too fast for him to do anything before she interacted with the crawler. He didn’t know what she was doing to the creature, but she seemed to be in total control. Then everything happened so quickly. He blinked, and the beast was dead, and two more jumped from the darkness. He gasped as he and his mates scrambled backward, but in a moment's time, the crawlers were all dead. She killed three with little to no effort when ten to twenty men struggled with one.

His eyes were wide as he gazed at this beautiful young woman who jumped out and killed the beast hunting them and the others that came to the creature’s aid. Her color didn’t phase him as he slowly looked down her body. The curvature of her hips and plumpness of her breasts in her form-fitting uniform was highly appealing to him. Her beauty was beyond anything he had ever seen.

He flinched when a splatter of goo hit the right side of his face. His hand wiped it away and glanced down at the green blood, then over toward the beast. He noticed the glowing red woman was gone, “Hello?” He said, but he didn’t get a response. He looked at his terrified comrades then out into the trees. “We won’t hurt you.” He said aloud. He waited for an answer then said, “Please. We mean you no harm.” He knew she was out of sight but still possibly somewhere nearby.

—/

Benezia could hear a man talking, but it was in a language she didn’t understand, but she recognized it from when her mother was listening to that recorded message. She knew just about all of the asari languages and several other species languages but not this one. She was considered a linguist by many, but she was nowhere near as good as her mother. She knew if she continued to hear it, she would eventually learn it, but currently, she had no idea what he was saying.

She peeked over the beast and saw four men remaining, then looked into the trees. _Well, this could be your ticket to a safe haven or resistance._ She shrugged as she gave a quick smirk. _Their death awaits if it is._

Benezia stood and cautiously walked toward them, then stopped when she heard several people calling out then; one of the men turned and said something, then looked back at her. Three men emerged from the trees and made their way toward the others that were near her. When the newcomers saw her, two of them quickly raised their weapons, then suddenly one dropped to his knees as he spoke and bowed. He waved at the other men as he spoke, but only a few of them bowed as the others stood guarded.

Benezia arched her brows at their actions and thought about what the creature told her. She smirked as she thought, _They think I’m a goddess._ She let out a breath then began to walk closer to them as she spoke in her everyday Armalian language, “I’m sorry. I don’t understand you, and I mean you no harm. I just need to return home.” She knew they didn’t understand when they looked at each other. She pinched her brow when she noticed the “glove” type object they wore on their non-dominant hand. _Interesting… probably an upgrade to the one she saw Shay use in the facility._

Now that she was closer, she could see them much more clearly, and the majority of these males looked her age or younger. One male was tan, almost a sand looking color, with amber eyes and a squared jaw. Their tentacles were similar, but not entirely like hers. Asari have six prominent tentacles that drape over their crests and come together at the back of their heads. Their tentacles start off thick, then decreasing in size as they come to a small finger-like shape toward the end. They have a few layered tentacles at the back of the head that fill in what the side tentacles don’t cover. 

These men had two short layered tentacles that started in the middle and scooped toward the back of the head, three prominent tentacles on each side, then a few similar ones in the back that swooped down toward the neck. Their tentacles almost look styled to her and shorter, unlike their sleek, unified tentacles. The spacing was minimal between his multiple tentacles. Maybe his sexual spots were underneath the layers instead of between. With their style, she could definitely distinguish them from the asari females other than them being broader and stockier in size.

The men were about twenty to thirty feet away, and some of them were on edge because the moment she stepped closer, they quickly grabbed at their guns but didn’t point them at her. She rose her hands quickly and said, “Ok, ok, easy.” The tan one spoke to her, then pointed at his leg, then at his hurt comrade. Benezia looked at him and said, “I see that you’re injured, and I can help.” She pointed at herself then at them as a notion to walk over.

The males looked at each other, then back at her as they nodded. Benezia slowly made her way to them; then she looked around _Fu_ _ck, this could be bad. Stay on alert._ She noticed they followed her every movement as if they were mesmerized. She reached in her leg pocket and pulled out a tiny medkit, then pulled out her knife, and the two males jumped back and quickly rose their handguns. “Woah! I’m not going to hurt you.” She said as she rose slowly and backed away. “I just need to pop the latch on the armor.” She pushed the button on the knife her father gave her years ago and repelled the blade, then slid it Into her pocket. “See no harm!”

The tanned male lowered his gun then put it away, but the other male still had his drawn, and his hand was shaking. He was saying something to her, but she just shook her head as she mumbled, “Don’t do it.”

He pulled the trigger, and she immediately repelled the discharge that came out of it. He gasped as he looked at her hand then her other hand. He shot at her again, and she quickly repelled the discharge again.

Benezia shook her head as she said, “I don’t appreciate you shooting at me, but I’ve had enough.” She stasis the gun from his hand and yanked it from him, then grabbed the other male's gun and pulled it to her as well. She tossed them to the side and held up her hands. “See, I’m not—“ she instantly dashed to the side repeatedly when several of the men sent biotic blasts toward her. The tanned male quickly put his hand out as he yelled at his comrades, as did the older male that bowed initially. When they looked at her, she had her shoulders squared, and her feet dug into the ground. She didn’t want to harm them as she knew they were just scared, but she cracked her whip at them as a warning.

She could tell that the old male was pleading with them not to continue, then she noticed that they lowered their weapons. He turned to her and spoke as he bowed, then waved her over. Benezia took a breath. _Great…seven to one._ She smiled, _ehh still in my favor._ When she got closer, she made a push back movement with her hands at the non-injured males, and they stepped back.

\--/

His heart began to beat faster as this beautiful woman walked closer and closer to him. He didn’t know how to act with women, especially one this unbelievably gorgeous. He looked down at her, and his eyes widen at how delicately she removed his armor leg piece, then slightly gasped when she placed her hands on him. If it wasn’t for his body armor, his now growing bulge would have been visible. He closed his eyes as she ever so gently moved her hands around his leg. He took a deep breath, and his eyes fluttered at her overpowering intoxicating scent. His mind wandered as she tended to his wound, but instead of her mending his wound, she was slowly kissing up his leg. His eyes snapped open when she touched his wound, but her unknown words and soft tone made him smile. Her icy blue eyes stared at him as she spoke again and then continued to carefully tend to his wound.

When she was finished, she stood before him and touched her chest as she spoke, then placed her hand on his chest then spoke. He pinched his brow markings, then she made the same movements, but this time he caught on to what she was trying to do. He placed his hand on his chest and replied, “Rordi.” Then he placed his hand on her shoulder and said, “Beh-nay-zeuh.”

\--/

Benezia smiled as she nodded. “Yes, Benezia.” The young male seemed to be kinda and looked to be inviting her to go with them. She stood there for a moment as she contemplated what to do. _Well, it would be dumb if I stayed out here, especially with those creatures around. At least with these males, I can see the surrounding area's layout, but how do I get back here? Shit!_ She stood there for a moment, then raised a finger, then walked over to the tree beside the portal. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her knife, switched it to flame, then burned a marking into the tree next to the portal; that way, she would know where it was if and when she returned. When she turned toward the males, she let out a deep breath as she walked back to them, then mumbled, “Ok, let’s do this.” As they walked away, she looked back at the portal then toward the starlit sky _. I know you’ll come for me one day, my love._

\--/

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism is welcome and ideas are always helpful. Thanks for reading.


End file.
